


Hero Reborn

by zekekrabs



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alive Champions (Legend of Zelda), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dead Link (Legend of Zelda), F/M, Gen, Hero of Time, Post-Calamity Ganon, Pre-Calamity (Legend of Zelda), Pre-Calamity Ganon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 64,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zekekrabs/pseuds/zekekrabs
Summary: Link gives up his life, taking down Calamity Ganon with him, saving the champions and everyone in Hyrule. He is commemorated and remembered by the people.Seven years later, on the same day the calamity fell, Link is awoken in the Temple of time, and sees visions of a man in green, holding an ocarina.Link begins his second journey in life, exploring the vastly changed Hyrule as somewhere, an ancient evil is revived.
Kudos: 37





	1. Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback would be appreciated and this chapter is before link actually dies. So, a prequel of sorts. Kudos are greatly appreciated 🙏

The blood moon pierces the land of Hyrule. In the regions of Tabantha, Lanaryu, Wasteland and Eldin, four great sheikah creations take aim at Hyrule Castle. Zelda had warned of the blights beforehand, allowing the Champions to defeat their respective blights.

Meanwhile, Zelda was in Hyrule Field, using her powers, she distracted most of the active guardians, allowing civilians and soldiers to escape from the castle and Castle Town.

 _"Father.. Please be alive..."_ Zelda muttered as she atop to the Sanctum, where the heart of the calamity resided. Zelda could not bear the burden of losing her father, However, she looked at the winding path that led to the sanctum, and saw a figure dressed in blue and white, wearing common trousers and a glowing sword.

 _"Link!"_ She thought as her spirits lifted, Zelda would have to wait until Link defeated the calamity, and together with Impa reach the sanctum and seal Ganon.

**Akkala Citadel**

Most of the people who resided in Hyrule Castle and Castle Town had retreated and fled to Akkala Citadel. Banzetta, the Royal Guard Captain and Link's father, was tasked to lead the way. 

_"Everyone! Quickly to the citadel! Don't bother about your belongings!"_ Banzetta yelled as the line of rushing civilians seemed like it would never end. Soldiers and knights held their swords and spears tightly as they blocked the hordes of bokoblins and moblins from closing in on the citadel.

 _"Sir!_ _Report!"_ a Hylian captain said as he saluted Banzetta. 

_"It seems the horde of monsters won't stop, at this rate we will lose the citadel!"_ the Soldier Captain said as Banzetta rubbed his forehead and sighed, seemingly frustrated.

Suddenly, a guardian laser was heard, coming from the South. Banzetta quickly glanced southward near Zora's Domain, to see Divine Beast Vah Ruta aim its laser, and in less than a second, the beast fired a beam that zoomed across half of Akkala and striked the heart of the monster army, destroying almost half of them.

Banzetta sighed with relief, as the soldiers cheered and morale at the citadel increased.

At the Sanctum, Calamity Ganon seemed to take the form of a deformed spider. Some of its limbs were guardian legs, it wielded a guardian laser beam and a giant ancient sword. Link and Ganon had fell to the shiekah arena under the sanctum when Ganon landed from the ceiling, meaning that the only way one could escape was if they killed the other. Ganon, who's strength had been amplified by the blood moon, readied its weapons to battle the Hero of the Wild who too, held his sacred Master Sword up high. 

Then, the Champions struck.

 _"Time for you to die, Ganon! You're lucky I'm not fighting you!"_ Revali boasted as with a swing of his arm, activated Vah Medoh's divine power.

 _"Don't worry princess, hold out just a little longer! "_ Urbosa said as with a snap of her fingers, sent a powerful energy beam from Vah Naboris's head.

 _"Goodbye bacon breath!"_ Daruk yelled before punching his fists together, a signal that Vah Rudania was to strike.

 _"I hope this will help, Link"_ Mipha said in a soft tone before Ruta fired its respective beam.

The four energy beams met head on in the sanctum, sending a barrage of shiekah energy on Ganon's disgusting body as the monster screamed in pain.

However, Ganon was still focused, focusing on the boy who held the master sword, who would surely seal him forever. Meanwhile, Ganon tried to hit Link with a swing of his blade but Link dodged through it, then quickly following with a flurry rush.

This continued for some time, Ganon, who's mighty blows tried to hit link but the hero dodged every single attack, like he was dancing with his blade. Soon however, Link began to exhaust. His vision became slightly impaired, the terrifying beast not helping at all.

A blind strike from Ganon seeped in from the left side, but Link reacted just in time by putting his Hylian Shield in front of him but was still sent to the wall, slamming to the ground. Link got up and was met by Ganon charging a guardian laser as he held up his shield and parried the blast, but was unaware that Ganon had fired two more consecutive lasers, all striking Link head on. Link grunted as he rolled across the floor but no, the hero was not afraid. He still had the courage to stand up to the beast who had now reached full power, as midnight struck and the blood moon which was colored a piercing crimson red. 

More fighting ensued. The Champions, using their Divine Beasts to assist the soldiers on the ground, Zelda, who was taking down guardians one by one and rallying them all in the center of Hyrule Field, Banzetta, who led the defensive line at Akkala Citadel, and Link, who stood his ground against Calamity Ganon. Ganon struck the hero's shield, staggering Link as his shield was flung across the room. Link now had no way to block Ganon's attack. Link gritted his teeth as he gripped his sword with both hands, sweat seeping out of his palms. Ganon's guardian laser hit Link as he tried to dodge it, and before he got up, he was met with a strike to his chest by Ganon's Malice sword.

 _"Shit",_ Link muttered, coughing blood as his left arm was scorched, his head bleeding and his chest which had a giant diagonal scar from the attack he just took. He realised that surviving was not an option, he would surely bleed out before medical attention would arrive.

With his sword in hand, Link charged towards Ganon, unhinged by the fact that he would die any second. Ganon, who seemed surprised, did not react before Link was mere inches from him.

 _"HYAHH!!"_ Link yelled, jumping and thrusting his sword down into Ganon's head. The beast screamed in pain, grabbing Link and puncturing his chest with a small ancient dagger beforing throwing him to the ground like a doll. Link lied on the floor, hand on his chest which had a gaping hole in it. He looked at the dying beast, who struggled but failed to take the deeply lodged master sword out of his head. And as Link's vision began to darken, the beast began to shrink. Link smiled as he closed his eyes, thinking about Zelda, the Champions, and his family. His father, Banzetta, and his sister, Aryll. As Link turned his head to the side, he saw a glimpse of Ganon who's body lay motionless as the malice around him slowly began to dissappear. Having fulfilled his duty, Link muttered his last words. 

_"Goodbye, Ganon, "._

Link then succumbed to his injuries, unbeknownst to everyone else and died alone.


	2. Funeral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story goes a bit slow but this chapter is darker as it explores Hyrule after links death

Zelda's eyes widened.

Her face was pale, mouth open and she looked like she saw her worst fear. Well, this was her worst fear.

Impa, who had accompanied the Princess, had the same similar expression except she had her hand over her mouth. 

The room was silent. The cheers of the people of Hyrule could be heard. The two women stood on the floor below the sanctum, where the Hero and Villain just fought. Zelda had already sealed Ganon, but did not notice the lifeless body until she got a better look.

_"No.. This can't be.."_ Zelda whispered as tears began rolling down her cheek, which eventually turned into a waterfall.

_"LINKKKKK!!!"_ Zelda screamed, harder than she had ever before. She was on her knees, next to the Hylian Champion who gave his life for Hyrule.

Impa, who finally was able to move, placed her shoulder down on the grieving Hylian,who had her hands in her face. The crying was muffled by her hands but it seemed like it was amplified. 

_"Princess, we shoul-"_ Impa said before Zelda interrupted her.

_"No, not yet. I still can't process this situation.."_

Zelda still had her hands on her face, but the tears escaped through her fingers. 

The two stayed there, until Zelda finally decided to move. 

_"We will move Link to the shrine of resurrection, even if its too late" Z_ elda said, trying to avoid thinking about his dead body.

_"Im sorry princess.. The shrine stopped working months ago. Purah and Robbie tried their best, but-"_ but was again interrupted.

_"I DON'T CARE!!"_ Zelda screamed at Impa, now desperate for a solution. If only her mother were here, someone who she knew could know what to do. 

_"Do not inform the public and the champions about his death yet, not even his family"_ Zelda said, her voice breaking. 

_"Yes Princess",_ Impa replied before glancing at Links body. It was a bloodbath. His left arm was burned, his eyes bloodied and battered, his lower abdomen bloodied and his chest, which had a giant diagonal scar and an unmissable hole near his heart.

The day after the victory of Hyrule came. People celebrated all through the night, soldiers being honored and praised, and the champions, who now had become well known across Hyrule and gained fame. 

At Akkala Citadel, Banzetta attended the funeral which more than 300 casualties had been confirmed. This reminded him of his family, Link, who had to face the strongest opponent alone. And his daughter Aryll, a young 8 year old girl who he had instructed to stay in their family house away from the conflict. In a few hours, the grand ceremony to officially declare the end of the Calamity was to be held in Castle Town, held by Princess Zelda and other officials. 

Due to Zelda's efforts, most of castle town had been saved from the guardians destruction, as she had distracted them all the way to hyrule field. 

There was still no sign of King Rhoam, who had been rumored to been killed by Ganon. However there was no evidence to back this theory.

**Meanwhile on the Great Plateau..**

Being elevated meant that hardly any guardians reached the Plateau. However the ones that did destroyed the small camps which housed many travelers and residents. 

_"Yes Sire!"_ Four Royal guard's said all in unison before leaving the plateau. The figure they were talking to had a thick white beard, and dirty royal garb. It was the King, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. It seemed that he had mostly came out unscathed, except for the few times he and his guards were ambushed by bokoblins. The king knew how to fight, and weilded the strongest Royal Claymore in Hyrule.

_"This doesn't seem like a bad place, does it?"_ The King said to himself while looking around the place.

There were many reasons why the King came to The Great Plateau. First of all, he was ashamed that he couldn't stop the Calamity before it devoured most of the Castle. He basically didn't think he deserved to be King of Hyrule. The second reason was, as a kid, Rhoam was very interested in the old tales. The tales which told that: _Whenever an ancient evil rose to power, a boy wearing green and held the sword that seals the darkness would appear and strike the evil down._ Rhoam was always interested about this particular story and knew that the Temple Of Time, a now rundown building somehow was connected to this. More so, maybe housed the spirit of the old Hero. The Hero which was known as the Hero Of Time.

Most of Hyrule had gathered to Castle Town Square and around. Every race attended, even the far Lurelin village to the southeast. The people of Hyrule were ready to hear the princesses statement, as well as honoring some brave soldiers who fought against the Calamity.

Murmurs spread across the crowd, small conversations, chatter and rumors. However they fell silent once Zelda had began her speech. 

_"Dear people of Hyrule",_ Zelda began.

_"My name is Zelda Hyrule. For years we had been preparing for the Calamity, which is why we digged up the many shiekah relics which aided the hero in sealing Ganon 10,000 years ago. We have also appointed four champions to pilot these relics, known as the divine beasts"._ Zelda proclaimed, diverting attention to looking at the four champions who stood proud. 

_"Daruk of the Goron, Urbosa of the Gerudo, Revali of the Rito, Mipha of the Zora",_ Zelda paused, and continued. It was noticeable but nothing that would be suspicious.

_"Link of the Hylian",_ a few people, including Banzetta, looked around the square for any sign of the champions presence.

_"As holder of the goddesses power, I can confirm that Ganon has been successfully sealed and Hyrule has been saved. As Princess of Hyrule, I declare victory to Hyrule!"_ Zelda proudly yelled, with the many people in the crowd, soldiers and civilians alike, proudly yelling as well. The town square was probably the noisiest part of Hyrule right now. 

_"I would also like to honor some soldiers who did well in the war. Firstly, thanks to the efforts of Banzetta, Captain of the Royal Guard and Knight, many were able to flee to Akkala citadel and many lives were saved thanks to him."_ Banzetta smiled but tried his best to look humble. His fellow guards patted him on the back and congratulated him. 

_"I also want to honor Teba, Riju, Sidon and Yunobo."_ The young but known heroes also tried their best to look humble, except Sidon, who was waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. 

_"These young heroes all valiantly aided their Champions in defeating the blights inside the divine beasts, and as well as helped many on the ground and joining the fight."_ Zelda added. The champions full of glee. 

_"I would also like to award Joun, a Knight of Hyrule who had taken down several hinoxes and lynels during the battle. And thus, award him with the title of Royal Guard"_ Zelda said as the crowd cheered for Joun.

Joun was a Hylian Knight, similar age to Zelda, and probably the most famous person apart from the champions and Royal family. He came from a small family in Hateno Village, so he wasn't egotistical or full of himself. Unlike Link, he was very social and charmed all that knew him, which is why he was so popular. He also had unmatched sword skills, except that of Link.

Joun blushed, though he had many women proclaim their love for him, his heart landed with the Princess, and having her acknowledge him made him extremely embarrassed. He quickly took the medal and returned to his standing position. 

" _There is... One last message I have for you..."_ Zelda said, visiblly saddened but continued. 

_"As you know, the master sword is the only weapon that can kill Ganon. As such, the Hylian Champion Link was chosen by the sword and was tasked to fight Ganon in a 1v1."_ Joun was listening. Joun looked up to Link as someone that he wanted to beat, someone who drives his motive for becoming a Knight. Someone he wishes to become one day. 

_"During their final fight, the blood moon enhanced Ganon to a point where he was stronger than 5 gold lynels, So, I have much of this victory to give to the Hero of Hyrule, Link."_

_'Five Lynels!?"_ an audience member exclaimed.

" _and Gold too!?"_ another added. 

The crowd filled with murmurs. People were surprised a hylian could even fight that much strength by themself. Mipha looked worried, holding her hands closer to her chest. The other champions also looked worried. 

Banzetta was the most worried, the fact that his son was not here and that he fought Ganon alone, helped support what he had feared years ago when Link became a Knight. 

" _However, the reason why Link is not here right now, is because he **died** while landing the final blow on Ganon." _Zelda's voice started to break. 

Right then, the whole of castle town fell silent, and still. Not a single movement or sound could be heard. So silent you'd be surprised that there were more than 400 people there. Not even the soldiers metal clanking could be heard. It was like the silence would be eternal. 

Urbosa looked down, with a saddened face. 

Revali stood there, even though he disliked link, he could not help but feel like crying. 

Daruk looked grim. The once proud Goron now looked like a depressed boulder. 

Mipha had an expression like Zelda. Her eyes wide, face pale and mouth open. Mipha felt like collapsing to the floor but her body was too shocked to follow. _"Why..."_ She muttered. 

Joun had flashbacks. He remembered Hateno Village being attacked by many monsters, and remembers defending his family from the monsters, but failed. He then remembered Link fighting the army alone, and saving him and some other survivors. That made Joun become a Hylian soldier and eventually a Knight. 

But this was too much. The man he once looked up to, now dead. Who would he strive to be now? Someone he would want to fight for and rival? 

Through the silence which felt like a century, there was finally a noise, Banzetta slumping to the ground. Tears filled his eyes, and Banzetta felt pain he had never felt before, much, much worse than the time he fought a black maned lynel. 

" _MY SONNNN!!!"_ Banzetta cried.

"YOU _WERE SUPPOSED TO LIVE!!!"_ Zelda looked down at the grieving father with a sad expression.

_"YOU HAD A LIFE TO LIVE, IN A LAND WHICH YOU SAVED!"_ He yelled before crying. 

Soon most of castle town began crying. Those who knew Link, whether be it from training or friendship, all knew who he was as a person. Mipha was still shocked. She didn't even cry, collapse, or say a word. She silently felt the pain of losing a loved one. 

" _Im sorry, Mipha.."_ Purah whispered to Mipha. She knew Mipha's true feelings for Link and how pained she must feel right now. 

" _Why, why did you have to leave so soon? "_


	3. Born into the Wild

**Seven years have passed. It is the day Link killed Calamity Ganon. The day was known as "Heroes Day" honoring the late champion who saved Hyrule.**

**The Great Plateau**

_"Link... Link..."_ A male voice echoed throughout Links mind. Link saw nothing but darkness. And a figure, a green boy who kind of resembled him. He had blonde hair, wore a green phyrgian cap and held an ocarina. He held the ocarina and started playing a tune. A tune link had never heard before but somehow felt like he grew up with it...

The boy soon turned into what looked like Malice, and Link saw Calamity Ganon manifest in front of him. Link screamed.

" _What.. Where am I?"_ Link grumbled before getting up. He felt like he was sitting on concrete, but he realised where he was, he saw the rundown roof and windows which had been broken for some time. Moss grew around the building and in the cracks of the wall and behind him was a giant goddess statue. 

Link was in the Temple of time. His memory was still fuzzy, and frankly, he had no idea why he was here. Outside, he saw a small puddle and saw his reflection. He was much older now, aging by 7 years. Link was surprised. He had never seen himself this old. He also looked at his attire.

Cap of the wild, tunic of the wild, and trousers of the wild. Link knew that these garments looked familiar, then remembered that boy with an ocarina. Was he meant to resemble him or something?

" _Why would he be anyway, was he important?"_ Link had so many questions, after all, seven years had passed.

Suddenly, Link heard footsteps. He turned behind him to see what seemed like an old man wearing a hood, and the only distinct feature was his big white beard. 

"It _is rare to see a face around here"_ the old man chuckled to himself. As Link looked in confusion. 

_"You seem lost, what is your name child?"_ The old man asked.

Link fumbled. He had trouble speaking. 

" _Its L-L-Link."_

**Hyrule Castle**

Princess Zelda was to become Queen in a few months, not that the inauguration had much meaning, since she practically took on the duties of Queen after Rhoam abandoned his title. She had also married, with Joun as her partner 4 months ago. 

Hyrule had been flourishing these past seven years. Ruins were rebuilt into fortified structures, towns expanded much further than before, and Castle Town was much more expansive, as well as a statue of Link in the middle square as a honor to him. Festivals were held in the square to commemorate the day Ganon fell. It was also a day that the Hero died to some. 

Much to Links surprise, Rhoam revealed his true identity to Link and told him everything that had happen these past seven years. Zelda's inauguration, the peace between the races, and the many new names that Link had not known before. He had also heard that Urbosa and Riju were caught up in a war with the Yiga, who had used Link's death to invade Gerudo Town. Urbosa was obviously furious and demanded revenge on those who took advantage of her friend's sacrifice. It had started a few months after Zelda announced the death of Link. 

In Rito village, all seemed to be well. The only downside was that The vast Hebra region, an area that not even the Rito had explored much, was filled with Frost talus and sometimes they would come and attack the village. Rito stable, to Revali's demands had become more of a small town, housing soldiers, residents and a wall that sat on the borders of Tabantha and Hebra. Kass had also returned to the village, after finishing his late teachers work. 

Goron City expanded a lot. The southern mine also became a stop for Hylians and such to rest before continuing. The Gorons had also taken back the once abandoned north mine, due to Daruk and Yunobo fighting off the lizalfos and octorocks. Bludo was still chief, and his back was getting better at least. 

Zoras Domain had also expanded. Ploynous mountain still had a Lynel- A white maned one which had been upgraded due to it living there for a long time. The domain was much more hylian friendly, having more general shops, and the armor shop which once closed, had reopened due to more Hylians visiting. King Dorephan was still King, but was soon to retire after Zelda's inauguration. 

Kara Karas Bazaar became much more popular, since the Gerudo were slowly expanding their town and people. However, since the war with the Yiga, not many had visited. Except Zelda once in a while to send forces to help the Gerudo, although Urbosa refused. 

Kakariko Village was still a peaceful town like before, with Paya as their chief. Although she was new, all she needed to do was find solutions to her peoples problems. Impa lives within the walls of Hyrule Castle, who has taken the role of Zelda's personal guard, one Zelda does not like particularly due to past.. Complications.. 

Purah and Robbie permanently moved to Hyrule Castle, where they still continue their research on ancient guardian technology to this day. 

Mipha however still hasn't recovered. During the first 3 years after Links death, Mipha was filled with depression, even nearly committing suicide multiple times, but was stopped by the fact that Link would want her to live. More princes and men came to the domain, with the sole purpose of having Mipha as their bride, although Sidon did not take too kind to that.

" _Why couldn't I save you.. If I was just there, I couldve healed you.."_ was what Mipha thought, thinking that the reason Link died was because no one was there to assist him, not even the Princess. Though she tried her hardest, she could never love another man. Unless that man was Link. That was the truth. Mipha felt like Ganon had cursed her, making her fall in love with a man who was destined to die. 

Banzetta had retired a week after his son died. He could not bear the pain and went back to Hateno Village, becoming chief and to make sure he didn't make the same mistake twice, raised and cared for Aryll, his last remaining child. Aryll was too young to realise Link died at the time, as now she was a 15 year old. Even now, learning of her brothers death, she still wanted to become a Hylian Knight. 

" _Why not,_ _dad?"_ Aryll complained

 _"It is too dangerous a job for a person like you"_ Banzetta replied, not helping the conversation at all.

 _"So? Im strong enough to face it!"_ Aryll exclaimed, desperate to get her fathers approval to become a Knight.

 _"No you're not. You will fight terrible monsters. Beasts that'll haunt you for days to come"_ Banzetta replied. They have had the same conversation multiple times, everytime Banzetta wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible.

_"How come you let my brother become one then?"_

Banzetta furrowed his eyebrows. His eyes closed and fists clenched before he slammed his fist on the table. This was the final straw. 

" _Your brother IS the reason why you ca-won't be a_ _Hylian Knight! Or a Royal Guard or soldier! Anything that includes fighting, you will not be permitted to do!"_ Banzetta yelled at her daughter, scaring her a bit

 _"Why not? So you're telling me I can't avenge my brother?"_ Aryll screamed back

" _There is nothing to avenge! If you mean Calamity Ganon, he is already gone! He killed your brother, and your brother killed him! If you become a Knight you will just be fighting some unrelated business that could kill you!"_ Aryll seemed shocked. Banzetta sobbed a little.

" _Promise me you will not have the same fate as your brother. I already lost one, if I lose another I will never know what to do"_

Aryll looked saddened. Though she wanted to fight monsters like her brother, she knew that her father could not bear it anymore if she died as well. Even more, she had no experience in fighting whatsoever. 

Later that night, Aryll looked upon the dark sky. She looked at the dark silhouette of Hyrule Castle, and thought for a bit. 

" _Brother, are you truly dead? I wish you were here so you could see how great Hyrule has become",_

Link also looked upon the night sky. It was peaceful, he had decided to stay at the east post ruins, ruins which would never be rebuilt again, as much of Hyrule had given up on the plateau. There were no more guardians, no more Malice, and no more Calamity Ganon. 

But if Hyrule was truly at peace, why was Link revived? Was he just revived so he could live out his life normally? That was the conclusion Link came to.

Dawn came, and Link packed the supplies he needed, including meat, mushrooms water, a sleeping bag, and a rusty broadsword he had found on the plateau. Link decided the best course of action was to head to Hateno Village, which he had heard had become very expansive. He also knew that there were many who missed him, many who spent countless days awake because they couldn't accept the fate he had given himself.

Link set off. With the sun piercing the land just, it was time for Link to redeem himself. To make sure that he would become the person he used to be. As such, he headed straight into the wild. 


	4. Journey to Hateno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link decides to travel to Hateno Village. What awaits him there on his journey?

5 rupees. 

That was all Link had. He stared at his empty pouch, with visible disappointment. Link realised he had never had to worry about finance ever in his life , so he was quite new to this. How was he going to make money? It was essential that Link would find a way to earn rupees.

" _At least I won't get robbed",_ Link thought and chuckled at his own joke. He was glad he still had a sense of humor, back when he was silent Link was always thinking, and he enjoyed making jokes though he couldn't share them. 

Link walked past a pair of travelers, and heard them talking about a new town that was made in the Akkala Region. Link continued walking before he felt a metal blade against his neck. Turns out, the travelers were indeed thieves. 

" _Give us all your_ _rupees!"_ One of the thieves said to Link.

 _"I swear, I have nothing, "_ Link replied while the other checked his pouch.

 _"Oh Hylia, this guy really doesn't have anything! "_ One of the thieves said to the other.

Link took advantage of this situation and striked the thief holding him. He was too stunned to fight back as Link escaped his grasp and drew his sword. 

With a single strike, Link knocked down one of the thieves who was charging at him. The other tried to run but was pinned down and knocked out by Link. 

When the two awoke, they were bound with rope to a tree, with Link sitting next to a bonfire close by. 

" _I was wondering when you'd_ awake", Link said to the tied pair. 

_"What do you want? We don't work for anyone, we're just freelancer thieves, "_ one of them replied

Link smiled to the dismay of the thieves. Link had the genius idea to turn these guys in. Maybe he would be rewarded with rupees. Who knows? So he took the two to Fort Hateno, which was not far from the forest.

It turned out those two were wanted criminals who were known for robbing travelers, and Link was rewarded with 50 rupees. 

" _I wonder what else I can get?"_ Link cheekily thought, rubbing his hands together like a madman, grinning as well.

" _Lets see... A traveler's dagger, some food and water, and a wooden shield."_ Link said to himself while he looked at the loot he had stolen from the thieves. Quite ironic.

" _Not the best, but this'll definitely do"_ Having a weapon that wasn't rusty was definitely a improvement, and having a shield meant Link could parry, making him much better at combat.

" _Why didn't the soldiers at Fort Hateno notice me?"_ Link pondered.

Fort Hateno was now a fortified base where most of Hateno's soldiers were housed. Ash swamp, the area which Fort Hateno was bordering with the path to Hateno Village. Ash swamp was filled with Guardian bodies, nicknamed the Guardian Graveyard. Robbie had really wanted to take the parts for research, but was denied by Zelda as it would take too long. Now he couldn't as the parts began to rust.

There were so many young soldiers there, surely they would've seen of heard of Link somehow? Or maybe all of Hyrule forgot about Link and shoved him to the side. But that wouldn't make up with Rhoam's statement about the "Heroes Day" and the statue in Castle Town. It was probably the silly hat link wore. It was a green phyrgian cap, with the back you could describe as the back of a zora's head, except it wasn't a fin. It also covered a lot of links hair, and with his somewhat aged face, he did look different compared to what he used to look like. Link continued his trek to Hateno Village, passing the Equestrian Archery Course which the soldiers used to train their bow skills.

The Hylian finally reached the village, and was let in by the guard. He automatically felt the difference in the village. First of all, there were different races. He saw Zora, Gerudo, and a few Rito. But no Gorons. They had probably moved to Hateno to live with their Hylian partners. He decided to enter the General East Wind shop, where he spent his 55 rupees on some arrows, food and supplies.

He spent the next few hours wandering around, admiring the views and the people who lived there. The sight of children smiling and running around put a smile on his face. Link was glad that Hyrule was thriving. 

Link walked up the hill, where he saw the various Hateno farms and the cattle and sheep that resided there. He saw an old man sitting next to a blue flame lantern, admiring the view.

Approaching the old man, it seemed like the man knew Link was behind him. 

" _So, what brings you here, young_ _man?"_ Link was startled a bit, walking back a few paces. 

_"You don't look like youre from this village."_

_"You're right, I'm not."_ Link replied. Was it the cap that gave it away? 

_I'm Syhgurd, the mentor of Banzetta, chief of this village"_ Link's eyes widened, somehow remembering the name of his father. He then recalled a memory of he and his father when he was but just a child. 

_"Mentor?"_ Link asked, curious. 

_"_ _I used to train the young boy in the ways of the sword. He was exceptionally good, learning fast. He even had a kid of his own, who became a Knight at a very young age. It reminded me of Banzetta when he was younger. But, that kid is gone now. Died by Ganon's hands. "_ The man looked grim and Link knew exactly who he was referring to.

Link knew nearly nothing about his fathers past, except that he became a Hylian Knight at a young age and was known to be one of the only Hylians who faced a white maned lynel alone and won, making himself a Royal Guard. It was interesting to know, but what was also interesting was that silver and gold enemies may not exist anymore, as they were only enhanced by Ganon's magic. Would black type enemies be the top of the food chain? It did relieve Link a little, even if it wasn't true.

As evening set, Link saw a particular house past a bridge which piqued his interest. He walked on the bridge, which seemed pretty sturdy, a sign that someone lived here? As Link approached the house, and could hear voices from within. A young girls and a middle aged man's voice. The voices stopped as Link inched closer to the house. As Link opened the door, the first thing he saw was the head of a white maned lynel on the wall, before a sword was drawn in front of him.

" _Halt! How dare you have no decent manners. Have you heard of knocking?"_ The man said as he kept his royal guard's sword towards Link's chest.

" _Oh, I apologise"_ Link said startled and apologetic, but the man didn't budge

" _State your name and your reason for coming here! "_ The man said and Link replied as asked.

" _Link, Hylian Champion",_

The man looked shocked. Very shocked. He stood there, before silently lowering his sword. The young girl was also in shock, not knowing what to do. 

" _Son, is that really_ you?" Banzetta asked. Link took of his cap, revealing his golden hair and his long sideburns, still having the same hairstyle he rocked before he died. 

_"Oh my god... LINK!!"_ Banzetta cried as he embraced and hugged Link. Tears flew down the retired man's face, landing on Link's back.

Link, still hugging his father, changed his view to the small Hylian girl, who looked directly back at him.

" _Brother, I thought you died?"_ Aryll said, about to cry.

" _Me too",_ Link said as Aryll joined the hug.

 _"Son, I can't believe this, but how are you still alive?"_ Banzetta asked, finally retracting from the hug.

 _"To be honest, I have no clue either, I woke up on the Great Plateau suddenly.,"_ Link replied. 

Link stayed with his family for the night, his father gave him more supplies, a knights broadsword and 300 rupees. 

Aryll sat in bed that night, unable to sleep. She really wanted to ask Link more questions, however did not have the courage to, after all she thought her brother had died all these years. She looked through the window, and saw Link outside, staring at the night sky. 

" _Whats up, Aryll?"_ Link asked, who sensed the girl approaching him.

" _I just wanted to come enjoy the view with you"_ Link had a soft spot for Hyrule's natural views. He would look beyond to far regions, which seeminglesly helped him bare his burden and struggles easily. 

The two siblings both sat on the grass, looking at the mountains, buildings and sea that made up Hyrule. 

_"Say, brother.. Would you care if I became a Knight?"_ Aryll finally had the courage to ask. If anyone, Link would know truly if Aryll should be a Knight. 

_"It depends on what branch you become."_

_"Branch?"_

_"As a soldier you will fight on the front lines with many others. As a Knight, you will fight stronger beasts, like Hinoxes and Lynels. As a Royal Guard you work exclusively within Hyrule Castle, only leaving to escort important personnel."_

Aryll was surprised. She didn't know that branches were a thing. She just thought they all fought bad guys.

" _I would say that being a Knight is the most dangerous, you are putting your life with a few others to fight terrible beasts, sometimes you will have to fight them alone, "_ Link exclaimed.

Aryll remembered her father talking to his mentor about a time he was sent with 3 others to dispatch a white maned lynel. Those three were wiped out before they even reached the lynel, meaning Banzetta fought the savage lynel alone. He came out victorious and was named "The Lynel Crusher". 

" _Would you say I should become a_ Knight?"

_"If you're willing to die, then yes."_

Aryll grimaced at her brothers statement. But she was willing to die if it meant saving Hyrule. 

_"If you want to fight but live, then becoming a Royal Guard would be the best option. However you need to be a Knight first."_

_"Could you train me then?"_

Aryll spent the night listening to Link. He taught her the basics of combat and how to properly wield a sword and shield. He decided this as it was the best fit for Aryll. She didn't have the strength to use a claymore and didn't have the speed to use a spear. Soon, Aryll learnt tactics that even advanced soldiers had trouble mastering, though she learnt them with ease. Was it something that ran in the family?

_"I want you to learn this trick, one that helped me a lot."_

_"What is it?"_ Aryll asked, full of energy although it was 4am. However Aryll was very interested in this so it didn't matter anyway. 

" _It doesn't really have an official name, as only I can do it, but I call it: Flurry rush"_ Link explained the basics but all Aryll cared about was the preview. 

Link told Aryll to strike her and ready her shield. She did as told, and as she swung her training sword, Link jumped over it and with his stick, he charged towards Aryll and began his flurry rush. 

Aryll, who couldn't comprehend the Knight's incredible speed tried to block with her pot lid but was met with 9 incredibly fast hits, like she had just been hit with stasis. The girl was knocked back a few feet before she got up, smiling. 

" _I couldn't even see_ it!" Aryll said as she got up and regained her breath. 

_"I have no idea if you can master this, but try, "_ Link told Aryll and also gave her some more pointers. 

Sadly, Aryll wasn't able to do the flurry rush but was able to dodge and attack Link at a pretty quick speed. She also learnt the parry, although everytime it hurt her arm and she only got it sometimes. 

Dawn came, and Aryll was worn out. She thanked her brother and the two returned back to the house for breakfast. 

" _Link... Promise me you will not die again, okay?"_ Banzetta told Link as the three had breakfast: Honey glazed mushrooms, an energizing meal and one of Aryll's favourites. 

_"Of course father._ " Link replied, mouth full of mushroom. After many bites of breakfast and gulps of Lon Lon Milk, Link has finally decided to head off. 

As the hero packed his bags and left the house, Banzetta asked him a question that made him turn his head. 

_"Where will you go now then?"_

Link didn't know himself. The closest place would be Zora's Domain and he would have to meet Mipha, but there was also another reason why. 

_"Ploynous Mountain"_ Link replied, a cheeky smile across his face

 _"Wait.. NO! YOU CAN'T! I REFU-HEY COME BACK!"_ Benzetta knew why Link was going there but tried to stop him, however the hero was already taking off. 

_"Take care of Aryll for me, dad. I'll return one day!"_ Link shouted back to his furious father before taking off to continue his journey. 

Aryll smiled. She didn't know what Ploynous Mountain was but knew that it had something to do with monsters. Her path was set, no matter what happened, Aryll would become a Knight just like her family. 


	5. Water and Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link finds himself in Lanaryu, on his way to Zora's Domain. Meanwhile, the Rito are in a fierce fight.

Link sighed. It had been a day and a half since he left Hateno. Though he enjoyed the wild, He disliked Lanaryu as you had to trudge through the wetlands, and the path the the domain was boring as well and infested with Lizalfos. Link was set on rupees for a while, so the thought of buying at Zora's Domain increased his morale. 

**Rito Fort (Originally Rito Stable)**

" _Talus spotted, I repeat, multiple talus_ _spotted_!" a Rito watchman shouted through the speaker, which was heard throughout the fort and even Rito Village itself. 

_"Shit, this is bad",_ Teba thought to himself as he hastily armed himself and readied his arrows. 

" _Hurry your feathers, Teba!"_ He heard Revali call out to him as he flew down towards the border with his Great Eagle Bow in his talons. Teba quickly hurried, chasing after Revali and was joined by Harth.

Multiple frost taluses was bad. They could easily overthrow the Fort and destroy the village. The ore deposits were the weak spot, and Revali took advantage of this. He flew to the leading talus, quickly firing three volleys of bomb arrows, all nine hitting the ore deposit. The talus paced back in pain, before Revali flew in and sent another barrage in. 

Teba wasn't as skilled as revali. Though he was second best of the Rito. Using his fine Falcon Bow, he sent arrow after arrow towards a secondary talus, not stopping nor giving the talus a chance to counterattack. 

" _Fire arrows, now!"_ Harth yelled, and from the Fort the many Rito archers sent fire arrows high into the sky, flying down and hitting the talus like a mortar. Using fire arrows on a frost talus would remove its ice and revert it to a normal talus temporarily. 

A barrage of bomb arrows, from the three rito and the ones in the Fort, all rained down on the talus like it was a show. It was like a spectacle. Soon, the talus all exploded into ice shards and crumbled to the floor, as the Rito celebrated over their triumph. This would be shortlived however. 

" _WARNING!!! AN ARMY OF ICE LIZALFOS HAS APPEARED NEAR THE HEBRA PLUNGE!!"_ A Rito scout hastily reported as the Rito changed from smiles to fear. 

Link had reached the domain, finally. He was met by guards but was let in. Zora's Domain was much more different, similar to Hateno. The first thing he saw was the general shops, and the gear shops adjacent to it. Link smiled. 

Link bought himself a Zora bow. It was good as he would be able to shoot arrows, adding to his already dangerous arsenal. He saw a poster on a nearby pillar, and saw the details:

_"HYLIANS WANTED!!!_

_ANYONE WHO DEFEATS THE WHITE MANED LYNEL ATOP PLOYNOUS MOUNTAIN WILL BE AWARDED 500 RUPEES AND WILL BE HONORED BY THE KING OF THE DOMAIN. BE CAREFUL!!!"_

Under was a picture of the beast, roaring, eyes focused on the reader. Link was interested. Not only would he be fighting a lynel, he would get more rupees and meet King Dorephan. He also thought about Sidon and Mipha, who wasn't at the Domain right now. 

Link took off towards the east Bridge, blood pumped for the first real battle he would fight since his awakening. 

_"Why is there an army of lizalfos coming?"_ Teba snarled. He had already wasted a lot of his bomb arrows. He would have to quickly retreat to restock. 

_"I don't know, but we mustn't let our guard down. They are considerably stronger than a blue lizalfos, but die by a single fire arrow"_ Harth exclaimed. Harth knew most weaknesses of enemies, which helped them fight back the monsters. 

_"Then it's settled. We'll use fire and bomb arrows"_ Revali proclaimed as the Rito defenders nervously awaited the incoming army. 

Lizard met Bird. Sword met arrow. The rito ruthlessly fired arrows at the incoming lizalfos, but the large monster numbers were able to get closer and closer to the Fort every second. 

" _If the lizalfos get to the wall, we'll be at a considerable disadvantage, "_ Teba said as he fired an arrow which exploded on incoming Lizalfos. 

_"Then let's make sure that doesn't happen, "_ Revali said before activating Revali's Gale, a spectacle even the Rito admired. Revali flew across the span of the army, firing fire arrow after fire arrow. If it was one major advantage the rito had, it was the sky. Revali knew and used this as much as possible. Teba joined the flight but Harth stayed grounded incase the wall was in danger. 

Most of the army was gone, and the Rito started to tire. Arrows begun to run out, and as Revali was suspended in the sky, he saw it. An Ice Hinox. 

" _Ice Hinox!"_ Revali yelled as the cyclops beast smashed its hand into a watchtower full of rito. Ice hinox were Black Hinoxes who had adapted to the cold temperatures of the Hebra, making them stronger than regular black hinox. At this rate, the hinox would reach the Fort and eventually, the village. Though its eye was shot many times this one just didn't seem to care. It continued, smashing and trampling the Rito who tried to stop it. Revali flew in to meet the beast head on. 

" _No, Revali!"_ Teba cried as the champion flew towards the hinox. He bashed straight into the Hinoxes eye, and finally stunned it, though for a few seconds. The champion dodged and dodged, sent arrow after arrow, but nothing seemed to work, even fire arrows were naught. 

Suddenly, a lone arrow flew from the side with a small blue glow on the tip of the arrow. It hit the Hinoxes eye straight on, and before the hinox even moved, it suddenly disappeared into the vortex that had spawned. Revali, confused, looked down towards the arrow's starting point and saw a hylian wearing soldiers gear, with the exception of a helmet. His eyes widened. Though he couldn't see the hair or face, the figure reminded him of someome he knew all too well. 

Link. Except, well it was actually Joun, who had fired an ancient arrow right at the Hinoxes eye. 

" _Greetings, Rito champion",_ Joun said to Revali. 

_"Huh, used an ancient arrow. That's considered cheating, "_ Revali replied, now not interested anymore as the figure wasn't his long lost rival. 

_"Does it really matter when lives are at stake?"_ Joun said as he looked towards Rito Stable, which was now Rito Fort and Rito village. 

The lynel stepped back a little, who was majorly damaged by the hylian who only held a knights broadsword. Was the Hylian that intimidating?

Mipha, who had been at Toto Lake, heard the noise atop the mountain and decided to take a look. She had heard many adventurer's screams on that mountain who tried to take down the Lynel in the past, but all had failed. 

The lynel's attack pattern was becoming all too clear for Link. It swung powerful, but easily evadable swings and always left a chance for Link to counterattack. 

With one graceful movement, Link shot the Lynel in its face and side flipped onto its back, riding it like a wild animal. Though knights broadsword's hardly puncture a white maned lynel's tough skin, Links strength allowed him to be able to cut through like paper. 

Link ducked a swing from the lynel. The sword missed but the wind from the attack blew Link's cap off of him. Link didn't mind though, as the lynel was distracted and Link masterfully striked the beast again. Mipha quickly scaled the waterfalls, worrying that a hylian there might meet their end, but unbeknownst to her, it was actually the lynel who would die in a few moments.

As Link sent the last strike towards the lynel, it cried out in pain before slumping to the ground. Mipha jumped out of the waterfall, landing near the Lynel. When she looked up, however, there was no lynel in sight, just a hylian, one she had seen before. 

The pair traded looks. Looks of shock and disbelief. Mipha dropped her trident, and could hear her heart pounding harder than ever, memories of the Hylian filled her mind, and she didn't know what to do.

" _Mipha?"_

_"Link...?"_

_"Is it really you?"_

_"Yes Mipha, it's me, Link."_

The two embraced each other. Mipha dug her face into Links chest, sobbing. Link could feel the wetness of her tears staining his tunic.

_"Link... Where have you been these past seven years..? You know I-"_

_"Dead, Mipha, but I'm alive.. Somehow.."_

The two looked at each other. Mipha really wanted to kiss, but before she could, Link stopped and went down to the dead Lynel.

Link knew how to gut a lynel. From the many hours he spent listening to his father, He precisely opened a part of the lynel, like a surgeon. He stuck his hand in and pulled out the guts of the lynel, the most valuable part of the monster and handed it to Mipha, who looked away from the sight. 

" _Take this. I know its not the best, but think of it as a gift."_ He handed it to the still disgusted but smiling Mipha. 

_"Wow, Thanks... You've become really talkative, you know?"_ She told him as she took the slimy guts, regretting her decision already. 

_"Really?"_ Link was really not aware of how much more he spoke now.

As the two walked down to the domain, Link held the treasured head of the dead lynel in his hands as they talked. 

" _So.. Where are the wounds from your battle?"_ Mipha shyly asked. 

_"_ _What?"_ Link replied, generally confused. 

_"Could you.. Show me your injuries from fighting the Lynel?"_ Mipha repeated her previous statement but explained it a bit more this time around. 

_"I... don't have any.."_ Link replied as they both chuckled before they reached the domain.

The two walked through the domain, all eyes focused on them. The Zora princess, who was walking alongside a Hylian who held a Lynel's head in his hands, and wore a weird green hat. The men who were trying to get Miphas attention all dropped their jaws at the sight of the dead beasts head. 

_"So... Congratulations on your triumph, Hylian!"_ King Dorephan exclaimed to Link as he entered the throne room. There were many Zora officials present, including Sidon. 

_"Uhh, thanks."_ He nervously replied

 _"Oh, don't be so modest, you defeated one of the worst beasts in Hyrule! You don't even looked fazed!"_ Prince Sidon added, his white teeth shining. 

_"So, tell me your name, Hero"_ King Dorephan asked. 

_"It's Link"._

The room fell silent. Something Link was all too used to now.

 _"You mean the champion?"_ Muzu asked with curiosity. 

Link nodded. 

_"OH HO HOO.. SO IT IS YOU, LINK!"_ The King leaned forward, smiling as he faced the hero. 

_"I had a feeling you looked familiar,"_ Sidon added as well. 

Link looked towards Mipha, and saw her embarrassed, looking down and trying to hide a smile. But she couldn't. Why was she trying to hide a smile? Her very wish had just come true.

As promised, Link was given 500 rupees and another 300 extra because he was Link. He decided to stay at the domain for a few days, resting up and deciding where he would travel to next. As he was sitting down, admiring the view, he saw Mipha who asked him to come to her room. 

" _Im so glad you're alive, Link"_ Mipha said happily as Link sat down on a nearby stool. 

_"Thank you for never giving up on_ me", Link replied as he smiled. He thought, after seven years surely someone would move on. 

_"The reason why I wanted you to come here was, well..."_ Mipha blushed and closed in on Link. They met eyes, and she kissed him on the lips. He did as well. They slept together, until the next day came.

Link wandered around the domain, with Mipha by his side. He had told her that he had to leave eventually, but Mipha was fine with that. Sidon had also thanked Link for lifting his sisters spirits and making her express joy again. 

" _I reccomend going to the Korok Forest, your loyal sword is waiting for your return. ",_ Dorephan had advised Link. Link had asked that the domain not know his identity, and to suppress it until the time finally came when he felt ready. also, Daruk was actually not in Eldin, he was actually at Hyrule Castle training the new knights and other. 

The day went past and Link finally departed from the domain. He had been given a horse, although it still would take more than a day to reach the forest from the Domain. 

_Was he ready though? Ready to pull out the sword? Did the sacred sword even still choose him?_ There was only one way to find out. Zelda had sealed the sword in the forest, letting it rest in hopes that Link too would rest peacefully. 

_Dear Zelda,_

_I am currently staying at Rito Village. I have been conversing with Revali and Kaneli over how the Hebra Region will be explored, as they think it is finally time to. I may stay here for a while, the Rito do not ask for any assistance from other races. I am sorry for the short notice but I hope you are doing well._

_Joun_


	6. A New Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joun remembers his past and talks with the Rito champion. Meanwhile, a familiar person joins the Hyrule Army. Kass arrives at the Plateau, and a mysterious figure battles a Golden Lynel.

_Dear Joun_

_Thank you for letting me know about your situation. Take as long as you need as we are quite busy in the castle. There are still 2 months left until I become Queen, and Daruk has arrived to train the new knights of Hyrule._

_Zelda_

Zelda sighed. She sat in her room, looking at the ceiling. She had a heavy burden to carry, one that would mean leading all of Hyrule.

" _Dont doubt yourself, now's too late anyway"_ Zelda thought as she walked through the castle halls. During the past seven years, Zelda had also aged a bit, but still looked young. She now had full control over her sacred power, and was respected by many who resided inside the castle.

Since the few years after Link died, Zelda was in a state of depression like many but she was able to look past it, and carry on as she had lost both her parents (or as she thought).

**2 years after the calamity**

Joun was pushed back, skidding to the back but still on his feet. He held his royal broadsword and royal shield tightly, eyes stuck on the beast. It was a silver lynel, one that held a crusher, making it one of the strongest monsters in all of Hyrule.

Joun was confused, yet angry. How had a silver monster appeared after Calamity Ganon died? Silver and gold were monsters who were affected by Ganon. Did they stay the same after Ganon died? Or was there a possibility that the great King of Evil still lived? What ever the case, Joun would be triumphant in the battle, no matter how injured he was. He remembered when people called him the next hero. The successor to Link. Joun cringed. No way he would be the next Hylian Champion, if he struggled with a mere silver lynel then how would he fight Ganon if he returned? But he had time. Over the course of seven years, Joun had begun his real training. 

Link sighed. 

Though he had reached the Korok Forest, the great deku tree had told him that the sword was absent, resting somewhere else in Hyrule. He would not say any more, despite Link's best efforts. 

" _I will come for you one day."_ Link thought to himself before he left the Lost Woods empty handed. He decided to head to Rito Village, he would pass by Snowfield Stable and see what had changed during his absence, Though he knew that he would have to meet Revali. 

Joun reminisced as he sat by the Rito cooking pot. He remembered the years before when he had his vigorous training, and now he was the strongest warrior in all of Hyrule. Silver lynels meant nothing to him now, however he still struggled with gold lynels. 

He saw Revali come at sit down next to him, at the glimpse of his eye. 

" _You know, you remind me of someone."_ Revali said as the ashes of the fire burnt into the night air. 

_"And who would that be? "_ Joun asked

 _"Someone from the past. Someone I.. Hated.."_ Revali said as he tilted his head down, with a saddened expression. As the crackling of the fire could be heard, Joun raised an eyebrow, signaling Revali to continue talking. 

_"Although I don't anymore. He was someone who I thought was only strong because he was chosen. He never worked for anything in his life."_ Joun realised who Revali was talking about. Intrigued, he again signaled Revali to continue. 

_"When I attended his official funeral, I listened to his life story and didn't realise that actually, since he was a child he had been working hard every day, every night.."_ Revali regrettably said, now with an even more saddened expression. 

" _Now I try to forget about it, forget about the past and move on.. But even though its been seven years, I can't tuck away the guilt.. All this time I wanted to apologise to him, tell him I'm sorry. We didn't even have a proper duel.."_ Joun had never seen a Rito this sad, and realised that he was in the same boat as Revali, someone who wanted to be rivals with Link and duel him someday. He placed a hand on the Rito's shoulder, as the silent night turned to dawn. 

Joun packed his bow and arrows. He was proficient in short swords, bow, claymore and spear. He did this to ensure that whatever the situation was, Joun could defend himself efficiently. He was to join Revali and Teba to the flight range, where they would do daily training for a few hours. 

As Joun and Revali approached the flight range, they saw Teba, who was already there adjusting his bow. Teba practically lived at the flight range, only going to Rito Village to get supplies and care for his family. 

" _Show us what you've got, "_ Teba told Joun as he prepared to jump off the small wooden plank down to the updraft. Since Joun was a hylian, he was given a paraglider that stuck to his back, allowing him to glide and shoot whenever he needed to. 

Joun assessed the targets position. Revali knew this as this was important to gain accuracy. Joun jumped, bow in hand and proceeded to shoot 2 targets, before regaining height and shooting another 2 and repeat. 

By the time he had shot every target, he swiftly landed back on the platform. 

" _Not bad for a Hylian... But I've seen better."_ Revali said as Joun smiled. 

_"I'm still getting used to this thing on my back."_ Joun replied, looking at the paraglider on his back. 

_"You were quite accurate, although some targets you didn't hit on the spot."_ Teba had told Joun, who had grimaced. Joun knew he had some practice to do in terms of ranged combat. 

The trio proceeded to train at the range, from the start of dawn to just before noon. 

Joun felt like he had improved much more from that one session. And that he would be doing that daily, he smiled. 

Link trekked through the thick snow, he had consumed a spicy elixir although he still walked at a very slow pace due to the snow.

**Hyrule Castle Training Grounds**

The rows of Hylian Soldiers and Knights stood tall, awaiting the orders of the mighty Goron who stood in front of him.

" _Soldiers of Hyrule! I am the Mighty Goron Daruk! Today you will experience extreme training. At the end there will be an assessment, whoever can pass this exam will become an official Knight of Hyrule!"_ Daruk yelled in a sturdy voice. 

"YEAHHH!!" The hylians yelled. Their voices could be heard throughout Hyrule Castle. 

" _The training will be over the course of 7 days, each day you will undergo different training, all that will push you to your limit! I've seen what a Hylian is capable of, So don't think you can't do this!"_ Daruk told the trainees, who all stood still. 

Zelda looked at the training grounds from a window atop the castle. Only one thought ran through her mind:

" _Will there be another Link?"_

Two days had passed, and already over 60 percent of the soldiers who initially started Daruk's program had dropped out. Zelda pondered if this was a little to the extreme, but knew that this would be an effective way to find the people capable of becoming a Knight. 

The soldiers finally had the midday rest. For 30 minutes. The soldiers looked exhausted, sitting down and drinking bottles of water, some had taken a nap and others flat out passed out. Among these tired soldiers, a small girl could be seen, tired, but not as much as the others. It was Aryll, who was wearing soldiers armor. There weren't many women who were soldiers but Aryll seemed to be one of the strongest, except for the Hylian Captains, knights and royal guards who all had known female figures. 

Aryll had finally convinced her father to let her travel to become a Knight, although told her that she was to come back if she was declined the promotion. She had bought a lot of energizing elixirs, and was about to run out. Only time would tell if Aryll could endure training originally meant for Gorons. 

As dusk set, Aryll felt like she was in the middle of the Gerudo Desert. She had finished day two of training, and was not keen for the next 5. But the thought of becoming a Knight and making her brother proud drove her courage and resilience. 

Though Joun wasn't anoying Revali, he always reminded the champion of Link, something he tried so hard for years to forget. Every time the boy appeared in his mind, he became less talkative and egotistical. However he tried his best to make it look like he was fine. 

A familiar Rito bard flew from the west to the Great Plateau, as he landed, he saw the old man waiting for him. 

" _What brings you here, Kass?"_ Rhoam asked as he stamped his walking stick on the ground. 

_"I'm here because of the Temple. I'm intrigued about the past legends, just like you."_ Kass knew about Rhoam and his past. As a child, Rhoam always read the ancient royal texts about the hero who wore green, and the Princess with the goddess power. Several books told of a Hero who once traversed time, and even others who traveled between different worlds and could make three more versions of himself. 

_"My teacher even left a verse about the legend, so I thought someone like you would want to hear about it,"_ Kass added. 

_"Go on, then."_ Rhoam said, excited for what Kass had to say. 

_"As soon as I am released from this eternal seal, I will return to Hyrule to fight the great evil"_ Kass had read from his notes. Rhoam stroked his beard, thinking about what Kass just said. 

" _Interesting.. Eternal seal?"_ Rhoam asked

 _"I believe that the hero of old has been sealed away. I have also have reason to believe that by great evil, they can only mean.. Ganondorf."_ Kass had these notes for a while, so he was able to come up with a theory while traveling to the plateau. Rhoam, having not heard that name in decades, looked surprised. 

" _Ganondorf, huh? Not Ganon but Ganondorf.. I believe he used to be a male gerudo.. "_

 _"You're right. Since there hasn't been another gerudo male since, I believe he is somewhere in Hyrule, dormant but possibly soon to be awakened."_ Kass sighed. If Ganon still lived, then Links sacrifice would've been for nothing. 

" _Link still lives. "_ Rhoam told Kass, knowing he was thinking about the champion

 _"What?"_ Kass said in a surprised tone. Rhoam had explained to him about Link's awakening and how he did not want his identity exposed. 

" _I still have yet to find anything yet, but with your new information I'm sure there will be something here.."_ Rhoam had told Kass, who didn't seen like he was departing. 

_"Alright, actually, I want to join you in your research."_ Kass asked Rhoam, who glady accepted the request, as the Hylian and Rito walked towards the Temple Of Time, talking about the old legends. 

Only Zelda knew about the location of the Master Sword. She had told the public it rested in the Korok Forest, but had actually hid it somewhere else, because since if Link were to ever awaken, only he would know the location of the sword. It was like a trial, of sorts. 

Link used most of his brain power to find out where the Master Sword could be, but found nothing. Over the course of his trek to Snowfield, all he thought about was the sword. As he reached the stable, he bought a pair of snow boots, more supplies and spicy elixirs which should last him until he got to Rito village. He wanted to go to Rito specifically was because he heard that the Hebra was going to be explored. He thought about the fact of the master sword, which could very well be hidden in the vast snowy region. Link knew most of the layout of hebra, except he didn't require the supplies to reach the far North ends of the reigon. Hoping Revali would help him, he set off to the homeland of the Rito. 

**Somewhere in the Gerudo Highlands**

A tall, muscular figure walked through the layers of snow, the figure seemed to not wear any clothes except some jewels and pants, but looked like they were unfazed by the coldness of the reigon. The figure continued walking as it met the sights of a Golden Lynel, who roared at the still unfazed man. 

The beast charged towards the man, intending to ram him. However the man stood still, who seemed to be trying to block the lynel's charge. As the Lynel met contact with the man, thinking he would be run over, it felt his cold hands placed on the beasts shoulders. As the beast tried to retaliate, the man gripped the lynel before throwing it up into the sky and bashing it into a nearby mountain wall. The man then charged at the beast who was still trying to recover from the initial blow. It held it's savage sword toward the man, but he blocked the sword and began to pummel the beast. He used his fist to punch the head of the lynel into the wall, seemingly killing it with his bare hands. The man looked at his hands, and then the lynel. 

" _It seems I still have some power, at least."_

The man proceeded to walk through the Highlands a bit more. He stumbled upon what seemed to be a giant hole, with a entrance to what seemed to be a hideout. The man stood there, and before he could move, two Yiga footsoldiers appeared behind him, aiming their duplex bows at the man. 

The arrows bounced off the man. His skin seemed to be like armor. He turned around, and with incredible speed for a man his size, bashed the two soldiers heads together, instantly knocking out the two, or even, killing them. He saw the inverted shiekah eye on their masks, now much more interested in this hideout. 


	7. A Rito Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link finally reaches Rito Village. Meanwhile, Urbosa and Ganondorf face off.

The Yiga footsoldiers desperately tried to stop the man, but were all nothing to the man. Even the blade masters, who were much stronger, could not defeat the man. 

Suddenly, a Yiga holding two windcleavers appeared behind the man. He seemed much stronger, as the two faced each other. 

" _I am Sooga, Vice leader of the Yiga. State your name, intruder!"_ Sooga faced the man, who began to close in on him. 

The two battled fiercely. Though Sooga tried his best, he could not defend against the mans strength, who's punches felt like a Savage Lynel Crusher. 

Eventually, Sooga fell. He was bleeding profusely, about to die. The man then stood over him, he placed his foot on Sooga's chest, speeding up his death. Then the man, who had red hair and yellow eyes, muttered a single sentence that Sooga could not believe. 

_"It is I, Ganondorf."_

_"W-w-we Yiga are Shiekah traitors. Our sole purpose is to worship Ganon, the King of Evil."_

Ganon, who did not know this, smiled.

 _"I don't need worthless followers."_ He began walking away as Sooga bled out.

" _At least Hyrule has not forgotten me.."_ Ganondorf chuckled as he continued deeper into the Yiga Hideout. Even more Yiga came, but Ganon battered them all away like flies. 

As he reached the deepest part of the hideout, he saw Master Kohga, in shock. 

" _G-ganondorf? "_ Master Kohga yelled as he dropped his half eaten banana. 

_"Who are you?"_ Ganondorf asked as he looked at Kohga who quickly fumbled. 

_"It is I, leader of the Yiga, sworn to revive Ganon, and it worked!"_ Kohga bowed to the man. 

_"So that's why I'm alive.."_ Ganondorf said. 

_"That's right, I used the Triforce of power to-"_ before he finished his sentence, Ganon had wrapped his hand around Kohga's neck. 

_"Heh Heh.. The Triforce... I forgot it existed. So you have the Triforce of power?"_ Ganon asked the man, who was struggling for air. 

_"Wha-what are you doing?"_ Kohga said, gasping for air. 

_"Taking what's rightfully mine."_ Ganon said as Kohga lifelessly slumped to the floor, his windpipes crushed. Ganondorf inspected Kohga and looked at his hand, and extracted the Triforce of power.

Immediately he felt the difference. He felt much, much more powerful. He was now able to create weapons and use dark magic to his advantage, also known as Malice. But something was strange. Although Ganon had now returned to his normal self, he felt something. An unbalance, of sorts. He then realised.

" _Where is the courage?"_ Ganondorf questioned. He felt the wisdom, but no courage. He then smiled. 

_"So, it seems that there is no hero in this era.. Hah, things are going just as I want."_ Ganondorf said before laughing evilly. He then walked out, passing the many bloodied bodies of the Yiga he had killed.

The Yiga were no more. But Ganondorf had arrived. 

Link looked relieved. In the distance, he saw the feint outline of Rito Village. He also saw a big wall, and a bunch of Rito holding weapons. 

" _Was it war?"_ Link asked himself. It was strange to see that many Rito who stood guard.

As Link passed the wall, he walked up the multiple bridges that led to the village. He was tired, and thought about sleeping at the Inn. 

Joun and others were still at the flight range. There would be a few more hours until they returned. Link, now rested and restocked, decided to visit the flight range, hoping that there would be some guide there.

As Link walked toward the flight range, he saw a the shadow of a Rito fly above him before firing 3 bomb arrows towards him. Link quickly used his travelers shield to block the blast, but was still knocked back. Using the smoke from the arrow, Revali charged into Link from behind, who noticed his sneak attack and blocked with his shield. Revali stuck his claws into the shield, and the two met eyes. 

RevalI's eyes widened. The face he used to know, one he could not forget.. Revali was overwhelmed with his past memories before fainting to the ground.

Before he could approach the collapsed rito, Link felt the presence of another. Joun jumped from sky, yelling as he did. Teba also attacked Link from the other side. The two of them both pincered Link at the same time. Link had used his sword to block Joun's strike, and his shield was used to stop Teba's volley of arrows. The two continued to fight Link. Both of them were unaware of who he was, thinking he had attacked the knocked out Revali. With just a travelers shield and knights broadsword, Link kept the two at bay.

" _Crap, this Hylian is really strong.."_ Joun scoffed as he went into an attack stance. 

_"Get ready, Joun."_ Teba said. They both shared looks, like they had some secret plan. 

Joun charged towards Link head on, as Teba flew around him, about to fire arrows. 

Link realised what was happening, and instead of using his shield, he rolled, dodging Joun and knocking him to where he just stood. Joun was then hit by Teba's arrows, and was sent to the ground.

" _Shit.. Joun!"_ Teba growled as he tried to shoot the Hylian. Link dodged them all and quickly closed the distance between them, before jumping and slashing down on Teba, striking him down. 

Link stood there, looking at the three opponents who were on the ground. Suddenly, Joun spoke. 

" _You are Hylian, are you not?"_

 _"Indeed. Why do you ask?"_ Link had replied. 

_"I have never met a Hylian who could battle a Rito champion and two others, and come out victorious."_ Joun spoke, holding his hand against his chest which had multiple arrows in it. Before Link could reply, Teba spoke. 

_"Master Revali.."_ Teba groaned, as the Champion began to regain his consciousness. 

The champion looked up at the Hylian, still in disbelief

" _You're Link, aren't you?"_ Revali spoke. 

Joun and Teba's eyes widened. 

The four sat at the cooking pot in the flight range. Revali was the first to speak. 

" _How, just how are you alive?"_

 _"It's complicated."_ Link had replied. 

_"I can't believe this, we all thought you fell to Ganon all those years ago."_ Teba said, the Hylian giving him a sad look. 

_"Link... You don't know me, do you?"_ Joun finally spoke, as all three of them looked at him. Link shook his head. 

_"You were the only person who came to Hateno Village while it was under attack in the past. You saved me, and a handful of others. Thanks to you, I've became a knight, and.. Zelda's husband."_ Link's eyes widened. Zelda's husband? This fact alone shocked Link.

" _You are.._.. _As I remember.. Joun?"_ Link said, recalling what Rhoam had told him. 

_"Yes!"_ Joun said in a happier tone, happy that the Hylian Champion knew his name. 

_"Congratulations on your marriage, and your Knighting."_ Link said, as Joun bowed.

The group traded conversation, and they also trained. As dusk set, Link sat atop of rito village, as Revali joined him. 

" _So, Link.. Where is that little sword of yours? I recall.. Ahem, the Master Sword? "_ Revali could not help but return to his egotistical self, although Link didn't mind. 

_"Quite frankly, I have no clue. That's why I came here, maybe it's somewhere in the Hebra region."_ Link had said, while Revali scratched his feathers. 

_"I don't think so. Since the past 7 years, Zelda has not once been seen near Rito Village or the Hebra."_ Revali said, Link then had a disappointed expression. 

_"Oh.. Damn.."_ Link said as he looked toward Hyrule Castle... Hyrule Castle.... That was it!

Link gasped at what he just thought. Like he had just recalled a forgotten memory. 

" _Huh, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"_ Revali pointed out Link's surprised expression

 _"Nothing, I.. Just remembered something."_ Link said, still thinking about what he thought. 

_"Oh well. It probably wasn't important, anyway."_ Revali scoffed, a bit hurt that the Hylian didn't tell him what he was thinking about.

As to Links wishes, the group would not reveal Links true identity to wider Hyrule. The three waved Link goodbye, as he finally departed from the village, going south. 

Links plan was to travel south of Tabantha, then east across the bridge into Hyrule Ridge land. He would then go to Central Hyrule, sneaking into the castle. He had an idea where the sword could be hidden. The trip would be his longest yet, as he had to travel across two regions to reach Hyrule Castle.

**Gerudo Town**

" _Halt! Voe are not allowed into Gerudo Town! Turn back immedia-"_ The two guards guarding the entrance of the town were shoved aside by Ganondorf.

 _"Alert! A Voe has entered the town!"_ One guard had said, desperately trying to stop the man.

All of Gerudo Town were celebrating. The Yiga had officially declared surrender a few days ago, and the party had not stopped yet. The partying Gerudo first payed no attention to the Voe, until they realised at second glance that he was a man. 

Ganondorf continued through the town. The noises had stopped as they all stared at the Voe. Soon, all of the weapons in Gerudo Town were all pointed at him.

" _So, a male trespasser, huh? How dare you ruin our well deserved party!"_ Urbosa said, walking out of the chiefs room before stopping in her tracks.

" _Who are you? You seem important."_ Ganondorf asked the Champion. 

_"I am Chief Urbosa, leader of the Gerudo People. Now get out of here before we slice you to pieces!"_ She yelled as Riju hurried to her side. 

The town was tense, grips tightened on the various weapons the gerudo used, everyone waiting anxiously to see what the Voe would do next.

Ganondorf paused, then spoke. 

_"You still don't know? I am Ganondorf, first born Male Gerudo. I am here to take my rightful throne!"_ He yelled as he materialised what seemed to be a knights claymore, except it was much bigger and was black with gold outlines. The gerudo people were still too shocked at what Ganon had just said, even Urbosa stood, wide eyed.

Ganon sweeped the Gerudo women who threatened him with his giant sword. In one fell sweep, the Gerudo stepped back, allowing Ganon to have the advantage and space. 

Buliara had came out, she held her golden claymore, and stood near Riju, who Urbosa had told her to protect. 

No matter how hard they tried, Ganondorf easily knocked away the groups of Gerudo attack formations. He then saw Urbosa, who drew her daybreaker and scimitar of the seven, as she charged towards the Evil King. 

The two met blades. Urbosa had charged towards Ganon, who had blocked her attack with his claymore. Urbosa knew that she had a higher chance of losing if Ganondorf was on the offensive. Though Ganon was quite quick, the claymore limited his speed and with Urbosa's quick strikes, could not attack back. Eventually Urbosa had enhanced her scimitar with lightning, as every time their blades clashed you could hear the lightning of Urbosa's weapon zap.

" _You are Ganondorf, yes? Then I have some personal business with you."_ Urbosa snarled as she kept attacking the Male Gerudo. 

_"I do too, you take the throne of the Gerudo, yet I as a male gerudo should, no, **WILL** rightfully have it!" _Ganondorf yelled as he kicked Urbosa, who was sent flying backwards. Urbosa regained her footing, and dodged the many strikes Ganondorf sent. Each strike sent cracks through the floor, a sign of the pure strength Ganondorf possessed. Using lightning, Urbosa had regained the upper hand, as now Ganondorf was back on the defensive. The two fought fiercely within the walls of the town. 

" _There is no point struggling. I possess the Triforce of power, you are nothing against me!"_ Ganon yelled as the relentless Urbosa did not stop. 

_"As long as you roam Hyrule, the people of this land will take you down! No matter the cost!"_ She yelled back, in which Ganondorf chuckled. And then a wide grin. 

_"HAHA.. You think someone can take me down? The only capable person of ever killing me is gone, there is no more Hero of Courage, because I killed them!"_ Ganondorf laughed, still feeling the imbalance of the Triforce. 

The image of Link appeared in Urbosa's mind. A dead link, who had been stabbed by Ganon. Urbosa was too distracted by this thought, allowing Ganon to directly hit her with his claymore, sending her straight into a wall as she yelled in pain. 

" _Buliara.. Run... Take Riju... Get to Hyrule Castle..."_ Urbosa groaned at the bodyguard, who nodded and took Riju by the hand and fled. Ganondorf, who noticed the fleeing couple, began chasing them. Urbosa tried to stop him, but it was futile. 

Ganon was not quick enough to reach the two Gerudo, so he instead used his magic to create a makeshift guardian, who had a limited lifespan and was a bit weaker than a normal guardian. 

The Guardian charged after the two, as Ganon returned to Gerudo Town, he could not find the Gerudo Chief. Had she fled? 

Meanwhile, Urbosa was on a sand seal. She had escaped while Ganondorf had been distracted, hoping that Buliara was able to reach Central Hyrule. She went east, and would travel along south of Hyrule until she reached east Hyrule. She would then head to Central Hyrule, to inform Zelda that Ganondorf had been revived.

Zelda felt it. She felt the Triforce change. Now, she felt the Triforce of power had rose, but there was still no Triforce of Courage. 

" _Is he really gone?"_

Link sneaked through the castle Underground. He avoided the occasional Guards, and silently headed towards his destination. 

The final day for Daruk's training had come. There were only 23 left, including Aryll. Daruk had already explained the final trial, and that was:

" _To battle me alone!"_

Aryll panicked, as so did the other candidates. How was she going to fight Daruk, at least, beat him in a battle? Though Daruk had said that you didn't need to win, you just needed to show your skill. She was a bit relieved, but still anxious. She had been training the moves she had been taught, as well as the ones Link had taught her, which were much more effective. She was able to parry, although her arm hurt depending on how hard the attack was. As their battle drew near, Aryll prepared. She has been training for this. 


	8. To be a Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the Colossieum, most of Hyrule has arrived to see the multiple people who will fight Daruk, including Aryll. Link finds himself lost within Hyrule Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There may be a few more chapters after this left. Unless I decide to lengthen the story.

Buliara and Riju ran. But the guardian was faster.

" _Buliara, its getting closer!"_ Riju yelled as she quickly looked behind. 

_"Don't worry Riju. I have been tasked by Urbosa herself to take care of you. Now, don't look back. Keep running."_ Buliara informed Riju as they kept their pace. Suddenly, Riju heard a beeping noise and looked behind, to her dismay she saw a guardian laser pointed straight at the Gerudo bodyguard. 

_"BULIARA!!"_ Riju shouted as Buliara turned around, letting go of Riju and held her Claymore. She blocked the blast but was still hit. 

" _RUN!! RIJU! NOW! I'LL DISTRACT IT!"_ Buliara shouted, standing her ground against the corrupted guardian. 

_"NO! BULIARA, I CAN'T LEAVE YOU BEHIND!"_ Riju shouted as she tried to head towards Buliara, but was startled by the guardian who fired another laser. 

_"GO! DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ME!"_ Buliara shouted. She knew she couldn't escape, ready to defend Riju at any cost. The guardian began charging again. 

_"QUICKLY! TO HYRULE CASTLE!!"_ Buliara shouted, as Riju turned and ran, tears swelling in her eyes. Buliara smiled at the fleeing girl, and faced back at the guardian and closed her eyes. The guardian fired, before deactivating and disappearing. 

Link did not want to believe it. He was lost. Lost in Hyrule Castle. He had no map, and had only been under the castle twice.

" _How did it come to this?"_ Link sighed, ashamed of himself. He then wandered around, hoping he would stumble across the area he wanted to be at. He was lucky though, as most of Hyrule was at:

 **Colosseum**

Crowds gathered. Crowds of soldiers, many who had dropped out from Daruk's training, as well as many official people who were important. Knights, Captains, Royal Guard's and even royalty from other races had arrived, including Mipha and Sidon, Revali and Teba, Impa, Robbie, Purah and Banzetta, who was talking to old friends, Yunobo, various prince and Princess, and even the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda herself had come to watch the event. Joun, Captain of the Royal Guard and Zelda's husband had also come to watch the event, After returning from Rito Village, riding on Revali's back. Even the leaders of the races had come, wanting to see the skill of Hyrule's new forces. 

Most of Hyrule had come to see this single event. Where all 23 candidates who survived the trial would all be pitted in a 1v1 against Daruk. Before the event started, Zelda gave a short speech before introducing the candidates. Aryll was sweating as she stood, and saw her father cheering for her, although looking a bit worried. He had told Daruk beforehand to stop as soon as she was down, though there were no promises. 

However, Aryll looked but could not find her brother in the crowd. She was the last person in line, so she was quite lucky. 

" _Must be busy saving Hyrule",_ She thought, laughing at her own joke. 

The event soon begun, as the first candidate stepped forward as his name was called to duel Daruk. 

Link had heard about the event at the Colossieum by eavesdropping and sighed a bit. There was hardly anyone within Hyrule Castle right now, except guards but they patrolled the outside. Link was at the armory, where he found various royal and royal guard weapons, but decided not to take any as they belonged to someone else. He continued, going room to room, making sure there was no one to see him.

" _Mophus Garbard"_ Zelda had called. This was the seventh candidate, with the previous six all losing against Daruk.

Mophus came from a Royal family in Castle Town. Very pampered, and was like the Hylian equivalent to Revali, except he did not possess any unique skills. Revali scoffed. The Hylian bowed to the crowed, blowing kisses and what not. 

As he faced the Goron, the signal to start the duel was called and Mophus charged to Daruk. Since Mophus had initially survived the trial, he was by no means a weakling, who was quite good with the spear. However the ego got to him, as he was more focused on pleasing the crowd than pleasing the judges. As such, he only hit Daruk a few times, before cowardly retreating. It was a very annoying combat style. So much that Daruk charged at the boy, doing 360 degree spins and his Boulder Breaker spun, hitting Mophus on his side and sending him to the wall. The crowd cheered harder that moment than when his name was initially announced.

" _Danto Sharlo"_ Zelda called.

After a few more battles, it was now Danto's turn. He was a young shiekah boy, who was a friend of Grante, Robbie's son.

" _Go Danto!"_ Robbie and Grante cheered in the crowd, as Jerrin cheered as well.

The shiekah was raised well and his choice of blade was the katana. He was one of the very few who used blades like these which originated from a Eastern land beyond Hyrule. The boy looked at Paya in the crowd and got much more nervous. 

" _This is for you, Paya.."_ Danto whispered. Danto had a crush on Paya, so becoming a Knight would be a good way to impress her. The boy went into a battle stance, readying his Katana.

Link climbed up some stairs, and as he looked around, he recognized the room. 

" _The sanctum?"_ Link said, confused.

He had somehow went from the underground level of the castle, right up to the highest room, without even knowing. 

Link didn't complain, though, as he was practically at his destination. 

Link looked at the ceiling of the Sanctum, the now clean, refurbished structure. He still had visions of the Malice cocoon, bulging and trying to contain the dread beast Calamity Ganon. 

Link stepped back. It was similar to the time he first woke up, when he saw the face of Calamity Ganon. He held his head and groaned as he continued to look around the room, hoping he could find something. 

" _Urbosa?"_ Riju asked, tears still visible. 

_"Oh Riju.. You're alive.."_ Urbosa exclaimed as her wound from fighting Ganondorf was still visible. 

The two stood at the gates of Hyrule Castle, hugging. They had both met up to go to the Sanctum, where Zelda resided. 

_"No.. Urbosa... Buliara..."_ Riju said as she started crying.. 

_"Its okay Riju... She would've been fine if it meant you lived.."_ Urbosa tried to calm the child, but deep down it was a loss for her as well.

Katana and Greatsword clashed. Danto had somehow been able to block the crushing might of Daruk's boulder breaker, using just his thinly forged katana. The hype of the crowd increased. Each second it looked like the fight could end. Eventually, Danto was hit and skidded across the floor, face first. The young shiekah had failed, although he had put up a very impressive fight.

" _Candidate 13, Rivan Lychen"_

Rivan was a Zora Guard. He was under Bazz's guard but wanted to become a Knight of Hyrule, and was eventually granted to go by the King after he had slain the Blue Hinox at Ralis Pond. Mipha and Sidon cheered, as well as King Dorephan and other Zora who attended the event.

" _Go Rivan!"_ Sidon shouted, cupping his hands which seemed to get Rivans attention, who smiled.

Since he was a Zora, Rivan used a spear, like most of his race. It was a enhanced silverscale spear, specifically forged by Dento for this event.

As the Zora met Goron, Rivan already found the immense strength he had to deal with. Unlike Mophus, Rivan focused on beating Daruk and as such, avoided his quite fast blows, trying to mix both offense and defense.

It was impressive. Rivan actually knocked the champion back a little, but he wasn't able to defend against Daruk's strength as he crashed down on the Zora, breaking his defense and ending the battle.

" _17\. Greyson Tarrey"_

Greyson was a Goron. He used to be a miner, working at the South mine, but changed to becoming a warrior, using his impressive strength even for a Goron, to better use. His choice of weapon was a mighty lynel crusher, one he had acquired by killing a Lynel who had stepped into Eldin.

" _Its an honor fighting you, Lord Daruk!"_ Greyson yelled as Daruk smiled, getting in his stance. 

_"Let's see how much of a Goron you really are!"_ Daruk shouted back, as the two held their heavy weapons.

As the two struck, the two weapons fought, each trying to prove that it was stronger. However, Daruk had overpowered Greyson but Greyson counterattacked by punching Daruk and slamming down the mighty lynel crusher with a single hand. 

Daruk blocked the counter, but was pushed back. It was the first time that Daruk had lost the advantage, as Greyson proceeded to advance, striking Daruk although he blocked the strikes with his sword.

Link had spotted a trapdoor, but saw two figures approaching. Quickly, he hid behind a pillar near the throne.

" _Zelda, zelda? Where are you, Princess?"_ Link heard a familiar voice. 

_"Princess, we are in a dire situation."_ Another voice, but younger. 

Link poked his head out, gaining the attention of the two Gerudo. 

_"Wait...Link??"_ Urbosa said, in disbelief. 

_"Urbosa?"_ Link said, equally shocked. 

_"Oh how good it finally is to see you again, Hylian!"_ Urbosa said with tears once she realised who the Hylian was. They briefly hugged, with Riju joining as well. 

_"You too, Urbosa"_ Link said, as they retracted hugs. 

_"So, where is the Princess then?"_ Riju asked. 

_"They're at the Colosseum"_ Link replied, but saw the worry in both of their faces. 

_"Link... Ganondorf has been revived."_

_"What?"_ Links eyes wider, wider than ever. He thought about Ganon, the face of a devil, he stepped back, and couldn't get words out of his mouth. 

_"He destroyed Gerudo Town. That's why we're here.."_

Link looked saddened. The trio had a brief conversation before the two departed, heading to the Colossieum.

_"Good luck Link. I will be awaiting the moment you strike Ganon down, we gerudo will be in your debt forever."_

Link smiled. How did they still have hope for him? He did succeed the first time, or so he thought. He proceeded down the trapdoor he had first spotted before meeting Urbosa, to the room under the sanctum.

And then he saw it. 


	9. The Eternal Seal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link finally finds the Master Sword. As the Colossieum fights continue, Ganondorf prepares to make a move.

The crowd roared. Greyson, being the most impressive fighter, had finally fell to the Goron Champion. As Zelda prepared to call the 18th fighter, conversations ensued. 

" _Where do you think Urbosa is?"_ A crowd member asked

 _"And Riju, as well."_ another added. 

Revali had spotted Mipha and decided to have a conversation to her. 

_"Ah, Mipha. It's been a while, hasn't it?"_ Revali said, the Zora princess turning to him

 _"Yes, indeed. Quite a while."_ She replied, before looking on to the twentieth battle. 

_"You seem much happier now. Which probably means you know.."_ Revali had noticed Mipha who now smiled a lot, compared to before.

Mipha nodded, knowing exactly what Revali meant. 

Teba and Sidon looked at each other, exchanging confused looks. 

Aryll was still anxious, it was nearly time for her battle. Where she had to prove all the strength she had gathered throughout her journey as a warrior. She reassured herself that all she needed to do was to prove her skill in battle.

**Hyrule Castle**

Link had finally located the master sword. It was where his gut instinct told him to go. The room where he and Ganon once fought. Where he gave his life. The shiekah symbols on the walls reminded him of the grim encounter he had, but all he tried to focus on was his loyal sword.

" _Okay Link...You can do this..."_ He told himself as he approached the sword. He thought about everyone who he knew, people he could not bear to fail a second time. 

As he grabbed the hilt of the sword with both of his hands, he suddenly felt lightheaded as a voice rang in his head. 

_"Hero.. You have returned.."_ The voice said. 

_"What? Who are you??"_ Link asked. He felt like he heard this voice before, somewhere. 

_"This is not a voice, but merely a message. One to be played as soon as you return to your sword"_ The voice said. 

_"Message? Why would there be a message waiting for him when he returned? It wasnt Zelda, obviously.. Then who?"_ Link thought to himself, before the message spoke its last sentence. 

_"Come to the Temple Of Time.. All will be revealed once there.. Once you remove the sword, your presence will be noticed by the other bearers of the triforce."_

Link paused for a minute, then remembered. 

The boy with the ocarina. 

Link then focused his attention to the sword, which acted like a key. Once pulled, he would have to face evil yet once again. But he was ready. Ready to fight Ganondorf, the King of Thieves. 

As he pulled with all his strength, the sword slowly came out, revealing more of the blade as Link pulled. The tip of the sword finally came into view, as Link could pull no more. He pointed the sword into the air with one arm, smiling at the sword. 

" _I'm coming, Ganon."_

Link had also found the Hylian Shield still had the dent from when he fought Calamity Ganon.

Link sheathed the Master Sword and Hylian Shield, and went on his way to the Great Plateau as instructed. 

Aryll had finally been called. As she stepped, she felt so many pairs of eyes towards her, eagerly waiting to see her skill. 

" _GOOO!! MY DAUGHTER!!!"_ Banzetta yelled, so loud that even Zelda heard it. 

Zelda looked down and watched the young girl. " _So this is Link's sister?"_ She thought. 

Joun was eager to see what the sister of Link could do. He was told by Banzetta, after all. 

Daruk charged towards Aryll. Aryll remembered what Link had told her. She dodged, and proceeded to land seven sword strikes before Daruk could react. This surprised the Champions, Zelda and her father, as it reminded them of Link.

Daruk was on the offensive, landing blows that would end Aryll immediately. But she was able to dodge them all, as well as counterattack with a few moves of her own. However, she was starting to falter as Daruk's increasingly fast hits bounced off the now slowing Aryll. Aryll was pinned, she could not block Daruk's hits fast enough, so Aryll had one last move she could rely on. As Daruk striked his sword down, Aryll held her shield out and with perfect timing, she had parried the blow.

The crowd went wild. Banzetta screamed. A tiny Hylian had successfully parried a blow from an above average strength Goron. Daruk was knocked back a bit, surprised at what had just happened. Aryll held her sword horizontally and drove it into Daruk, piercing his skin. She was the first to actually injure Daruk in this whole event. 

Daruk stepped back, however, one injury would not affect the Goron, as he continued to strike Aryll, who continued to parry and counter. She ignored the massive amounts of pain that her arm withstood from parrying, using it to fuel her damage output. 

**The Great Plateau**

As Link approached the Temple of Time, he saw Rhoam, and what seemed to be a Rito. 

" _Kass!"_ he thought as the two spotted him and waved. Link had met the bard on multiple occasions while he traveled across Hyrule. 

" _Ah, what brings you here then, Link?"_ Rhoam asked as Link approached them

 _"The sword told me to come"_ Link explained, telling the two he heard a voice, or a message of sorts. 

_"The sword? So you have pulled it out!"_ Kass exclaimed, as he unsheathed the Master Sword, which the Rito and King examined. 

_"It told me that the Temple of Time would reveal everything."_ Link said, glancing at the broken temple. 

_"Then let's head in, shall we?"_ Rhoam said, as the trio procceeded to enter.

As Link stepped into the temple, he felt a warm sensation on his back. Unsheathing his sword, he was surprised that the sword began to glow a sacred blue, like it reacted to the temple's presence.

" _It_ _seems the Temple does have a connection to the legends."_ Rhoam said, as he looked at the sword. 

_"Legends?"_ Link had asked. 

_"Whenever an ancient evil rose to power, a boy wearing green and held the sword that seals the darkness would appear and strike the evil down."_ Rhoam recited. Link then remembered something. 

_"Wait.. I think I've seen this boy before.. When I woke up.."_ He said, scratching his head on how he looked like. 

_"Really? What did he look like?"_ Kass said as the hero thinked for a few seconds before answering. 

_"He wore green, held the master sword and also had an ocarina.. That's all I can recall.."_ The last part was new to the pair. 

_"An ocarina huh?"_ Rhoam said, before Kass spoke.

 _"Thats an interesting choice for an instrument. It does sound nice though, and is quite small."_ Kass said as the two agreed.

" _I heard the boy play a tune on his ocarina. I think that's part of the reason why I was revived."_ Link said as he remembered the moment.

 _"So, a magical ocarina that can revive people?"_ Rhoam said. This was definitely strange, but Rhoam felt like they were getting closer to the truth every second.

Link held the sword high, and it suddenly, it started glowing much more, nearly blinding the three. It then spoke a final message:

" _Hero, whoever you may be, whenever in time you may live in, you will always find an evil plaguing the land."_

The three looked at each other, listening carefully to what the ancient voice had to say.

_"Play the tune, the tune you heard before you woke."_

Link thought for a moment, then remembered the tune he had heard before he woke up. Though he had heard it only once. Link was able to recite it any moment.

_"When you play it near the evil, I will be released from my eternal seal"_

The final message the voice said before the glowing on the master sword decreased, then dissappeared.

The three looked at each other again, processing what just happened. There was a pause, as the three were thinking hard. Something then popped in Kass's mind. 

" _I've got it!"_ Kass exclaimed with an excited expression

 _"What?"_ Link quickly said. 

_"Link, you must meet Ganondorf head on. If you play the tune you heard before you awoke, I'm sure the Eternal seal will be broken!"_ Kass explained. Link had an unsure expression. 

_"That is... A very solid theory."_ Rhoam added, stroking his well combed beard.There really wasn't much to go on, but it seemed like that was their best shot.

" _Ganon should be near the Colosseum, if we depart now, we should be able to reach Ganon before he kills Zelda, "_ Link said, which worried Rhoam. 

_"Let's go then!"_ Kass said.

Link and Rhoam had gotten on the Rito's back, but Rhoam was unsure.

" _Are you sure you can carry all this weight?"_ Rhoam asked, worried that the Rito wouldn't be able to have the strength. 

_"I hold this heavy accordion everywhere. I should be fine. Oh, and here's a gift, Link"_ Kass replied as he reached in his bag and handed him an ocarina. 

_"Thanks,"_ Link replied, as the three were finally ready to depart to the final showdown.

Though Aryll tried her absolute best, she could not triumph over the champion. Her father looked disappointed, but was still happy she was a natural at fighting.

Joun was impressed. As one of the three judges, along with Zelda and Daruk,they would decide if a candidate was worth becoming a Knight. What he saw was much better than a Knight's standard. 

As the duels closed, the 23 candidates all stood in line, awaiting the judges to make their final decision. Once they finished, Daruk went to announce the results. As he did, Zelda felt something wrong. She felt the presence of a very dark evil. Bokoblins? No, they couldn't be this powerful. Lynels? No, Lynels do not thrive near the Colossieum. That only meant one last possibility. 

" _Ganondorf."_ The Princess whispered, her heart dropping and skipping a beat. However she felt another presence, one she had felt before. 

" _Courage!?"_ Zelda was shocked. How could she feel the likes of courage, for a second she thought that the triforce was broken. 

" _So, the following names that will be read out will be officially cited as Knights of Hyrule."_ Daruk explained, sending whispers and hushed through the silent crowd. 

" _Anglo Lour"_

_"Samton Drake"_

_"Danto Sharlo"_

_"Rivan Lychen"_

_"Axel Frost"_

_"Rose Blanche"_

_"Greyson Tarrey_

_"Nell Jackson"_

_"Aryll Link"_

Aryll let out a audible sigh, so did the others who were chosen. The ones that didn't stood there in shock. The crowd roared, louder than a lynel. Sidon cheered for Rivan, Grante cheered for Danto, Yunobo cheered for Greyson, and Banzetta yelled, cheering for his daughter, Aryll. 

Zelda and Joun relaxed. Though Zelda still had worried about the increasing amount of darkness she felt, the courage increasing alongside it. 

Suddenly, a red-pinkish sphere had appeared, covering the colloseum. The steps for the crowd booths had been blocked with Malice, blocking the crowd members from escaping. The sphere was a one way in only door. You could go in it, but could not go back out.

The crowd begun to panic. What was happening? The ones who knew what Malice was begun screaming, saying that Ganon was back, which in turn, made people even more scared.

Ganondorf walked into the Colossieum. All eyes turned to him, and faces were a mixture of fear and shock.

The champions all jumped from the booths to the floor, where they held their weapons against the Evil King. Joun had moved to Zelda, brandishing his sword as he watched the King. Knights, soldiers and royal guards who were equipped had also came into stance, ready to fight Ganondorf alongside the champions.

Zelda's heart dropped. It missed a few beats. She could not believe that Ganondorf was back, and what more, Link wasn't. That fear however, soon turned to anger for her fallen comrade.

" _There you are, Princess!"_ Ganondorf exclaimed, walking to the middle of the Colossieum, ignoring the many warriors who stood against him. 

_"No.. Stay away... STAY AWAY!!"_ Zelda yelled as she fired a beam of sacred power, hitting Ganondorf. But the Gerudo got up, like it was just a small scratch. 

_"Hahah..Why so defensive princess? Is it because you don't have your hero to save you anymore?"_ Ganondorf said, grinning. The champions and Zelda had furrowed their brows. How dare Ganondorf make such a rude remark. 

_"How dare you.."_ a voice said from behind as Ganondorf saw the Gerudo chief and vice chief stand, weapons drawn.

" _Urbosa!"_ Zelda said leaning forward, relieved. 

_"So there you are,"_ Revali exclaimed. 

_"Finally, now the champions can wreck some Havoc!"_ Daruk yelled, as he smiled at the Gerudo male.

" _As punishment for attacking the Gerudo people, and treason against Princess Zelda, your punishment is... DEATH!"_ Urbosa yelled, as the crowd yelled as well. 

_"Death? SO BE IT!"_ Ganondorf yelled back, drawing his heavy claymore as the four champions struck him at once.

Urbosa led the charge, striking Ganondorf. But he knew, and this time, he kicked Urbosa, who was knocked back. Mipha and Daruk attacked, but Ganon blocked both weapons with his single sword, before knocking them back and shooting Malice at them.

Revali soared in the sky, raining bomb arrows down at the King of Evil. Though they had nearly no affect, Revali used the smoke from the bomb arrows to sneakstrike Ganondorf, successfully ramming into him with his talons. However Ganondorf gripped the Rito's legs, and flung him straight into a wall. Mipha charged, using a water sprout to gain height, before dashing down onto her opponent. Ganon blocked, and out of the smoke, Urbosa came, who slashed Ganondorf with her lightning infused scimitar, successfully hitting him. 

Ganon winced, before Daruk slammed his sword down onto Ganon, who blocked it with his hand. 

Using his triforce, Ganon created a bubble of Malice which exploded around him, sending the 3 champions back. He then grabbed Mipha and drop kicked her towards the wall. 

Urbosa and Daruk attacked, but Ganon blocked both with his hands, he slammed Urbosa into the ground, and using his free hand created a claymore which he striked onto Daruk who tried to block with his weapon but was overwhelmed, getting sent backwards. 

Urbosa got up and with a snap of her fingers, lightning striked the King of Evil. It had paralysed Ganon for a short moment, but that was all Urbosa needed to launch a counterattack, sending many combo strikes onto the man. The two clashed, with Ganon finally punching Urbosa in the gut, where her wound with her previous battle with Ganon had not healed yet. Urbosa grunted as she flew into a wall. 

" _Had enough? Or do I have to kill you all?"_ Ganon looked at the Princess. Everyone looked at the Princess, waiting for her next move. She looked at the fallen champions, and thought about Link. His dead body. 

She couldn't take it anymore. She was moments away from breaking down, before a shadow in the sky had caught everyone's attention.

They all looked up, and saw three mysterious figures who stood on top of the Colossieum walls. As the cloud blocked their view, no one could see their faces or what they wore. Suddenly, the sound of a accordion played. A song. Coming from the Rito like figure who had stood atop the wall. 

" _Kass?"_ Revali whispered, still in pain. 

As the clouds started to move, the sun began to shine on the Colossieum. One figure was tall and bulky, and had what seemed to be long, thick hair.

" _Father?"_ Zelda said, shook. 

Joun looked at Zelda, then the figure. Hadn't the King died? 

And the last figure, who was tall and lean, whos cap blew with the wind. In one hand seemed to be a shield and in the other, a sword. 

_"No.. No way... Link?"_ Zelda whispered. Joun smiled. Mipha, although injured, smiled as well. 

As the clouds finally moved out of the sun's Ray, the figures were revealed, causing gasps and murmurs throughout. 

The Rito bard, playing the courageous tune. 

The King of Hyrule, who glanced at his daughter with a sad, regrettable look. 

And finally, the hero in green, he who held the master sword and hylian shield, with an angry expression he stared at the yellow eyes of evil, not even blinking. 

Though many different thoughts showed up in the minds of the bewildered people, Including Revali, Daruk, Mipha, Urbosa, Zelda, Aryll and Banzetta, as well as everyone else they all thought of one same thing:

" _Link!"_


	10. Retribution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Ganondorf finally duel, while the Ancient Hero who seemingly started all of this is released.

Link jumped from the roof, gracefully landing on the hard floor, in front of Mipha, who still laid there, injured but happy. 

Rhoam had jumped as well, landing next to Joun and his daughter. 

" _Father? How? And Link?"_

_"Do not fret my sweet child, I will explain all this as soon as Ganon is finally killed,"_

Zelda smiled. She finally felt like she was safe. 

Kass flew down an quickly grabbed the fallen champions, taking them to the top of the wall where they were safe. However Ganon did not care. He was focused, focused on Link, who returned stare.

" _So the hero finally decides to show up. Hm? I thought I was playing on easy mode?"_ The champions seemed angered by this statement. 

Link did not move. He still focused, still, on what the man would do next.

Ganon striked first. He rushed the Hero, slamming the claymore into the hero, who instead parried it with a shield. Ganon was stunned, allowing Link to strike with the Master Sword, which hurt Ganon. 

Ganon grunted, swinging his claymore but it was futile. Link read Ganon like a book, knowing the best counter for all of his attacks.

Soon, Ganon became infuriated, and abandoned the sword. He raised his fists, ready to use his quick martial arts. 

He charged again, sending quick punches and kicks to the Hero, who blocked them with his shield, though could feel the knock back of Ganon's hits.

Ganon then grabbed the edge of Link's shield, and pulled it away from Link, disarming him of a shield and punching him, knocking him back. But Link still stood. He held his sword in two hands, ready to continue the fight.

More dodges and strikes ensued, Link, although not having a shield was able to swiftly move side to side, back to back, always dodging Ganon's attack at the last moment and striking.

Eventually, Ganondorf had enough and created a limited guardian like the one who chased Buliara, who fired at link before disappearing into the air. Link was hit, but got up. Ganon kicked him, sending him sideways but he stopped himself from hitting the wall in time as he dove right back into the fight.

Ganon, the cunning man he is, didn't care what tactics he used to defeat Link. He smiled, then used malice to construct a model of Calamity Ganon. 

Link stepped back, fear in his face. Just looking at the beast gave him trauma, as he swore he felt a hole in his chest, the one that ultimately killed him. He was breathing hard, and forced his sword into the ground. Ganon stood over the overwhelmed hero, arms above head, holding a giant claymore.

" _No.. Not again.."_ Zelda and the other champions thought, before a sound of parry was heard. 

Aryll had parried the blast, though pain ran through her arm, she could not help but collapse. 

" _Im sorry brother.. There's no way I can't let you die.. Not after what you did to save Hyrule... I'm also a Knight now.. Hehe!"_

Aryll told her mesmerised brother, who smiled at the move she had just performed. 

_"Congratulations,"_ Link had said, as Ganondorf scoffed and prepared to strike again. 

Link looked at the enraged Gerudo man, who's veins were now popping. Time slowed down, just like when he aimed a bow and arrow. He then realised. 

Quickly, he searched his pouch at lightning speed. And he found it. The ocarina. He pulled it out and placed it into the mouth. Time returned to normal, and as Aryll had her back faced towards the incoming blow, Ganondorf seemed to stop, who was looking at the ocarina, shocked. 

Ganon then remembered. 

**Thousands of years before the Calamity**

The winner of this duel would decide the fate of Hyrule. Ganondorf, who had successfully sealed the Hero of Time for seven years, had conquered Hyrule, but now faced the same hero yet again, but much older and stronger. 

The hero wearing green stood against Ganon. He had seemingly incredible strength, that even rivalling that of Ganondorf himself. Eventually Ganon had turned into his pure boar form, in an attempt to defeat the hero, but failed. The hero, with infinite courage, stood against the boar and with the Master Sword, climbed the beast and striked Ganon on his head, destroying the beast and returning back to his gerudo form. 

" _Just what are you?"_ Ganon kneeled, panting. He knew he had lost the fight. 

_"The Hero who will seal you forever."_ The hero replied, standing over the defeated villain, keeping a stern stare. 

_"You're no Hero.. You're a monster.. With that courage of yours.. Your impossible to defeat."_ Ganon told the Hero, and as he was off-guard, He tapped in to the full powers of his triforce, he was able to use some raw power of Demise, the original Demon Lord, though at the cost of his life. 

Using Demise's powers, he cast an eternal seal on the Hero, forever bounding him to the master sword, where he could only be freed if an ocarina was played near Ganondorf. However, in turn Ganondorf was sealed as well, laying dormant somewhere in Hyrule for thousands and thousands of years, until he returned to ravage Hyrule. 

For the many eras that came after the fateful battle, many evils had also appeared, threatening to destroy the land which had been protected from time to time. With the power of the lost sages, the previous princesses who had the blood of the Goddess Hylia worked with the many incarnations of the Hero, whether it was within Twilight, up in the Sky, crossing the winds or in between worlds, who all followed in the footsteps of the Hero of Time. 

The tales of the many heroes who sought to fight evil were recorded, told by many to their grandchildren. Even ancient carvings of the hero underground Hyrule Castle had been found, depicting exactly what the legends had told. The green garb had become a symbol of courage, as any who wore green clothing would be 'blessed' by the protection and courage of the hero. 

**Present day Hyrule**

Ganon knew what Link was trying to do, but as he tried to grab the ocarina, Zelda had shot a blast of energy towards Ganon, making him flinch, and at that moment, Link began to play the ocarina, who's melodies filled the silent arena who was awaiting the outcome of the battle _._

As Link played the tune he once heard, Ganondorf could not move. His mind had told him to destroy the boy, yet the expression in his face told a different story. One of fear. For the first time in ever, Ganondorf had a look of fear. The King of Evil, afraid of what was about to happen next.

Ganondorf finally was able to move, and it looked like his veins were about to explode at any second. He grabbed the boy, who had just finished the melody, and repeatedly pummeled him with his bare fists. Aryll tried to stop the man, but was shoved aside by the evil man easily. Ganondorf punched and punched, he kept punching. He didn't want to lose another time, after waiting thousands of years,even millions.

By the time Ganondorf had stopped his rampage, Link's face wasn't as bad as one thought. Though he was hit in the face more than 30 times, the Hero seemed to only be slightly bleeding, his eyes still visible and mouth, smiling.

Link knew that he had succeeded. Succeeded in releasing the ancient hero. 

Suddenly, the master sword began to levitate, and magically rotated so that it was pointing up. It began to glow the sacred blue, much like when it was in the Temple of Time. Suddenly, from the hilt an arm had been materialised, then a head, body, and legs. A man had appeared, holding the hilt of the master sword like link when he reaquired his treasured weapon. 

This man was a young adult, who wore the green garb like Link except had the kokiri tunic, an iconic green garb with brown belts to sheath his weapons. He had blonde hair, which was nicely parted in the middle. He wore a white undershirt, and had long, pointy ears. In his right hand, the Hylian shield, and on his belt was a blue ocarina, with the triforce symbol on it as well.

It was all too clear for everyone who saw the mysterious figure now. The boy wearing green who had returned to fight evil:

" _The Hero of Time,"_

Ganon, who was practically internally exploding at this point, looked at Time, afraid of the mere sight of the released hero. 

_"No.. How have you returned... How has that mere boy figured out how to?!"_ He snarled, as Time pointed the glowing sword at Ganon, with an expression that screamed:

" _I'm ready for our rematch,"_

Rhoam had a very pleased expression. Kass looked at the hero, with a wide grin crossing his face. 

Zelda had heard her father tell tales of the ancient hero, the one who stood before her very eyes. 

Banzetta stared at his ancestor with a grin, proud of his bloodline. 

Aryll helped her brother up, more interested in aiding her brother than watching her ancestor. 

Link thanked Aryll before he held his shield, and drew a royal guard's sword. Since the Hero of Time's power had dwindled, he vowed to assist his predessecor in any way possible. 

As the two strongest warriors in Hyrule readied against the Evil King, who returned stare with a grit, ready to use the Triforce of power to its absolute limit. 

As the heroes began to fight Ganondorf, the King was now enraged. He swung at the two, who both rolled on either side of him. Link had tackled the bulky man, as Time had hit Ganondorf's chest with the Master Sword, knocking him back a few meters and continuing his assault.

Ganon and Time ran at each other, with Ganon firing Malice which stopped the Hero, who wasn't ready for the Ganon as he lifted his sword high. 

As he swung down, Link had stepped between the two, parrying the blast, a newer move that even Time had not seen before. Not wasting the chance, Time dashed towards Ganon, who struck him with his shield as he slashed the man as well. Ganon sent a volley of fists at the hero, who blocked with his shield but did not see the incoming leg hit him from the side. Time grimaced as he recovered from that blow, seeing Ganon immediately rush towards him.

Consumed with his own rage, Ganon did not see Link who ambushed and grabbed Ganon's legs, as the two rolled across the ground, each taking turns hitting the hard concrete.

Ganon freed himself from Link, kicking him in the chest. However, Link was unfazed, instead dashing towards Ganon, driving his sword into him. Link swiped and swiped, damaging the Gerudo King who could not seem to retaliate. As he finally did, Link side stepped the counter and was able to perform his Flurry rush, before going all offensive again. 

Link could not feel the pain of his injuries. He did not feel the hilt of the sword each time he striked the King. Link's perception of time seemed to slow down as well, as the King's movements were now easier to react to. Link was overflowing with adrenaline, with the only thought that floated in his mind was to take down Ganondorf.

Ganon rammed himself into Link, knocking him far back towards one of the booths. 

" _Link, no!"_ Mipha gasped as she saw the boy hit the wall. She leaned, as if about to join the fight, but was blocked by a Revali, who raised his arm in front of her. 

_"Calm down Mipha, only going down there would make things worse"_ Revali said, though the Zora was still intent on going down there and healing Link. 

_"But-"_ She replied before Urbosa cut her off. 

_"He's right, calm down."_ Urbosa said, as the Zora finally looked down, a sign that she had listened to the two.

Ganondorf finally could take a breath, however that was shortlived as he could not spot Time, who wasn't in his field of view. Suddenly, he looked up as the Hero had now appeared above him, thrusting his Master Sword downwards as he fell on the King. He hit Ganon on impact, who had felt the hot metal of the sword scorch his skin. 

The two continued to fight. They traded blows, and blocked each others, waiting until there was the perfect time to strike. 

" _You will not foil my plans again, not this time Hero!"_ Ganon sternly told the Hero as the fighting continued. 

_"What makes you so sure?"_ Time replied as he grinned, angering the King even more than he already was. 

Though each swing of Ganondorf's giant claymore was equal to the pressure at the bottom of the ocean, the Hero's Hylian Shield batted away the attacks, showing an impressive amount of craftsmanship. 

Time then realised. He remembered Link who had parried a blow to let him attack, and as he remembered how Link had executed it, he decided to try for himself. 

As he saw the claymore about to impact his shield, he swiftly swung his shield outward, successfully parrying the blow and disarming Ganon as his claymore flew, doing multiple spins before hitting the ground. 

Ganondorf looked back at the sword, surprised as he looked back at Time just in time as he was hit in the face. 

" _Thank you descendant,"_ Time thought as he was able to strike Ganon. 

_"No problem."_ Link whispered, who knew that Time would be thanking him that very moment. Link got up, wiping the blood off his mouth and charged right back into the heart of the battle. 

Ganondorf had sent Malice towards Time, which had latched on to his left arm and prevented him from swinging his sword. Ganondorf then bashed the Hero with his claymore, sending him backwards towards Link who had caught him. He grabbed the master sword, and took place of the gritting hero, who lay on the ground, holding his left arm. 

Link charged back to Ganondorf, who now smiled, as he only had to deal with one of the Heroes.

Zelda knew that she could help Time, as to her father and Joun's dismay, leaped from the top bleachers and touched the ground, running to aid Time who lay a few meters in front, who already had Aryll trying to tend to him. 

Zelda reached the Hero, who stared at her for a moment. 

" _Don't worry. I will get rid of that Malice which has stained your arm."_ Zelda told Time as he looked at her hand. The triforce had appeared, as Zelda used her sacred magic to disinfect the Hero's arm as the Malice slowly shrinked. 

_"So you're the Princess of this era? You look quite beautiful."_ Time told Zelda who looked away, blushing. Joun looked a little pissed. 

_"No!"_ Ganondorf yelled as he saw what was happening, as he shoved Link to the side and began heading towards him. 

Link, who mustered all his strength, used it to kick the back of the fleeing King, who flew forward, stumbling to the ground. Link then ran towards time, throwing the master sword which hit Ganon as it was caught by Time. 

Ganon got up, and punched Link before facing Time. Link got up, however, catching the sword which Time threw back and striked the back of the king. 

The two heroes threw the sword between each other, each moving to the opposite position to get the best angle on the King who tried to disrupt the two, the fighting and trading was so smooth, it looked like the two warriors had been fighting together for years. 

Link, who had the sword, swung 3 quick strikes at Ganon before he kicked him back, deciding to finally activate his Triforce. He held his wrist, screaming as the what seemed to be Gerudo Male slowly transformed, into his pure boar form, now holding two giant golden swords. His two giant horns curved, acting like extra swords he could pierce the heroes with. His large green eyes were without pupils, which could easily fear any who directly looked at him. He had a pointy snout, rows of sharp teeth, as the wild animal now roared at the two, ready to destroy them both. 

Terrified faces appeared throughout the crowd, as Zelda had a face of disbilief. Mipha silently cried, a little doubtful that a beast like that could be restrained. 

" _Trust in him. Them."_ Daruk told Mipha as the other champions agreed. She nodded, and held her hands close to her heart. 

Meanwhile, Rhoam had a excited expression, in which Joun seemed pretty confused by it. He asked the King what was wrong, but was met with no reply. 

_"Hmm.. Now let's see what you can really do, Hero of Time, don't dissapoint me!"_ Rhoam shouted as Joun had a look of realisation. 

Link and Time nodded at each other. If now was the time to destroy Ganon, it had come. The two charged at the beast, who swung it's gigantic swords in front of him. Link, who held the sword dodged them both before dashing to Ganon's right trotter, flurry rushing him before he tossed the sword to time, who stood directly in front of the beast. 

As time caught the sword, Link began to climb the monster's leg. Time aimed his hookshot directly at Ganon's mouth and fired. He zipped up to the monster, before using Ganon's nose as a platform as he pushed off, doing a backflip in midair, as he was now adjacent to the beast's gigantic eyes. He pulled out his bow, and began to fire many fire arrows towards both of the beast's eyes with glorifying accuracy. 

The beast roared in pain, leaning back as Link was now in the middle of the beast's back, desperately clinging on to the thick fur of the beast as he moved about, looking like he was trying to ride the wild animal. 

Ganon swiped both of his swords inward as an attempt to hit Time, who instead used the leverage to stab the sword into Ganon's upper left arm, before hookshotting and stunning the beast once more. 

Link had now reached the top of Ganon's head, gripping the thick red hair of the boar in his hands as he tried to get a proper hold. Time threw the master sword towards Link as he was sent back by one of Ganon's long horns. 

" _Finish it!"_ Time yelled at Link, as he hit the ground, still flying backwards. 

Link caught the sword with one hand, while the other still held onto Ganon's hair, tightly gripping it. The hero took a deep breath, and as everyone who watched the final moment anticipated, waiting to see Link execute the finishing move. And as time slowed down once again, Link said one last thing to the monster. 

_"It's finally time, Ganon, the time you will be erased from this land."_

Link let go of the beast, and as he began to fall backwards, using all his remaining strength, he drove the Master Sword downwards, thrusting it right into the head of Ganon, who let out a very high pitched scream. 

Everyone watched, as the horrible beast flailed and twisted, before it shrunk back, back into Ganondorf, who lay there on the ground defeated. 

Everyone yelled, cheering for the two warriors who had successfully defeated Ganon, yet things were not finished yet. As the two approached Ganon, one last conversation ensued. 

" _Urgh.. So it seems... I have been bested.."_ Ganon groaned, as he felt the tip of the master sword on his neck. 

_"You're right. Any last words?"_ Link said, as Time stared despisingly at the man. 

_"Hah.. Last words... Even if you seal me, I will return with time, coming back to once again to put Hyrule into a state of despair as I battle your weakening descendants."_ Ganondorf told the two, as he smiled, knowing that this wouldn't be the end of him.. Or so he thought. 

_"I'm not sure about that one."_ Link said, as Ganondorf's smiles eventually faded, now realising that the boy had no intent to seal him. 

" _Wait, no, you can't-"_ Ganondorf yelled, panicking but before he could finish his sentence, Link thrusted the sword down on the man, whose eyes stayed widened before slowly fading to a now dull expression, and as Link pulled the sword out, Ganondorf's body grew limp. 

They had finally done it. Both the Hero of Wild and Hero of Time had united to defeat the dark evil which had returned after 7 years. 

Ganondorf had finally been slain. Once and for all. 

The Colossieum cheered. Zelda, who was shocked but ultimately okay with Ganondorf being executed had released an enormous sigh, as she was rejoined by Joun, who reprimanded her for her careless actions. 

Aryll dashed like lightning towards her brother, hugging him tighter than every before and semi suffocating him. Banzetta shortly after joined as well. 

Time looked at the trio, with a smile, but it reminded him of his lonely past. However, he glanced to his left to see Kass and an excited Rhoam who held his hand out as soon as he was withing reach, eagerly waiting to meet the Ancient Hero. 

Revali let out a big sigh. Daruk smiled, Urbosa had met with Zelda, and Mipha, who had reached Link and Time, offered to heal their somewhat fatal wounds, which they gladly accepted. 

Yunobo, Sidon, Teba and Riju had met up with Revali, Urbosa and Daruk as they had a short conversation as they began heading towards the Princess and Link. 

The Knight candidates all met up with their families, being congratulated, told that they tried their best, or in Mophus's shoes, given a stern yelling, and possible disownment. 

Joun held Zelda's hand, who had told him to follow her as she headed towards the Hero of the Wild, who she had not seen in years. As the two met eyes, Zelda began tearing up as she hugged the champion who she thought had fell seven years ago. Link smiled and returned the gesture, even he could not help but let out a small tear. 

The fight was finally over, and as the people of Hyrule returned back to their homes, Link and Time were given specially made carriages, who were able to relax on the way back to Hyrule Castle, joined by the many friends of Link and Time. Villagers who the company had passed cheered for the Heroes, as they passed Castle Town they saw the happy faces of many races as they waved, yelled out to and even the children and elders had come out. Giving their thanks for saving Hyrule. Time smiled. Hyrule had aged well. Except for Ganondorf, of course. As Hyrule Castle was in Link's sights as they slowly arrived at the gates, there was no time wasted in preparing the extravagant dinner that awaited them and the champions, as well as rooms, personal butlers and a warm welcome for the Heroes of Hyrule and Royal Family. 

Link held the exhausted Mipha who's head rested on his lap, who had nearly fainted after trying to heal the many wounds inflicted by Ganondorf on the two heroes. As he looked through the window of the carriage, he saw the sanctum, bustling with busy people who still were preparing the awaited dinner. He saw the beautiful blue sky behind the castle, and the white clouds which floated over the land. Finally, for the first time since he had awoken, Link felt at peace. He felt that there was no more evil which resided within Hyrule. And the fact that the Master Sword had stopped glowing, was a sign that the evil had departed, never showing its face again. 

Link, who was still looking at the peaceful view, smiled. 

Time, who had glanced at his distant successesor, smiled as well. 

Hyrule was finally rid of Ganondorf, and at that, Link and Time had finished their duties. They could finally live out the lives which they had deserved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This concludes the first arc and you can consider it to be an ending if you want. 
> 
> Happy new years everyone :) Hope you enjoyed the story.


	11. A New Hyrule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ganondorf has been slain, the people of Hyrule carry on with their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to continue the story, so I will try to post as many chapters as I can. Stay tuned :D

The long room of the Dining Hall bursted with laughter. People talked, joked, and told stories of encounters they had throughout Hyrule.

" _Oi, remember when we found that sleeping Hinox? We had nearly woken it!"_

_"You know that time when we found that horde of moblins? They all charged at me but I was able to climb away!"_

At the end of the table sat Zelda, who had been dining while chatting with the champions who had sat next to her. On the other end of the table sat Link, who was closely chatting with Time.

 _"This food is good!"_ Time had told Link, as he chowed down on a piece of Hylian Bread, which had been made with Tabantha wheat and seasoned with destroyed rock salt. 

_"Yeah, probably the best in all of Hyrule,"_ Link replied, as he devoured a fish skewer, which had been grilled with Hearty Bass and Sanke Carp, 2 of the best tasting fish in Hyrule.

Beverages had also been present at the dinner, with many types of wine, beer, milk or even water for those who wanted to be healthy. The waiter approached Link, who smiled as she gave a glass of Lon Lon Milk to him, which was freshly imported from Hateno Village.

" _Try it,"_ Link told Time, gesturing for the waiter to give one to the other Hero as well. 

_"Thanks.."_ Time replied as he stared at the glass of milk, swearing he had seen it somewhere before. As he drank it, he felt a familiar taste run down his throat, as he realised that this was the same milk that Time had when he was a small child.

All races had been attending the diner, so a variety of cuisines from all across Hyrule graced the long table as people from a certain culture tried food from another. Except the rock roasts, which seemed to be only appetising to the Gorons, as Daruk munched down on one of the best rock roasts he had ever had, rivaling ones that had been cooked straight from Death Mountain.

" _Try it!"_ Sidon presented a Zora dish to Yunobo, who was uneasy at first. It was a meat and seafood fry, added with Fleet lotus seeds to increase your speed for a bit. 

_"This is a dish that we Gerudo are proud of. It is made of Hyrdomelon, Voltfruit, Wild Berry and a little bit of Hearty Durian."_ Riju said proudly as she handed it to the other champions, as Sidon was the first to take a bite. 

" _Hmm.. Refreshing.. But it seems like you just tossed all the fruit you could find in the desert, yes?"_ He told Riju as he continued chewing. 

" _What? The different foods are meant to make it feel refreshing no matter how many times you eat it! That's why it is famous among the Gerudo! "_ Riju exclaimed, quite hurt at the Prince's comment. 

_"Try this one, it's made of many types of poultry, as well as Hylian rice, goat butter and tabantha wheat,"_ Teba quickly said as he showed the dish, trying to stop the argument from escalating. It was a Gourmet poultry pilaf, which was made with the best bird meat possible who resided around Hebra.

" _We Gorons only have one non rock dish, so go ahead and enjoy it!"_ Yunobo told his friends as he presented Poultry curry, a dish which had been made with birds who resided in the eldin reigon, as well as the famous Goron Spice, a sought out ingredient only available within the Eldin area.

Daruk had offered a Prime Rock Roast to the rest of the table, although nobody except the Gorons raised their hands, saliva drooling from their mouths at just the sight of the juicy roast. It was interesting to Zelda, who watched as the bulky living rocks yelled in delight as they munched down on the roast.

Many Hylian cuisines had been handed down as well, including Meaty Rice balls, made with Hylian Rice and animal meat. Wheat bread, a simple dish cooked with Tabantha wheat and goat butter, Fried egg and rice, made with rice and an egg and seasoned with rock salt.

The Zora were interested in the many seafood dishes that were bought by Lurelin Village, including seafood paella which was made with rice, butter, salt and the rare hearty blueshell snail, only found on the South Eastern coasts of Hyrule.

Joun had consumed many dishes while dining. He tried many new flavours and was not a picky eater at all. Banzetta enjoyed all the meatier foods, and Aryll was fascinated by all these different cuisines, as she had never travelled far from Hateno Village or Hyrule Castle. Zelda taught the young knight the many foods which lay on the table, waiting to be devoured. At one point, the demand for food had been so high that the many cooks who worked at the castle had nearly fainted under the overwhelming pressure and time. Link had noticed a few female royal guards and knights who sat not far from him and Time, about 5 or 6 chairs away. Every time he ate his food he could sense that they were watching him, gossiping and giggling about what Link presumed to be him, and whenever he looked up, he glanced at the group who quickly turned their heads to focus back on their food.

" _Hey time, you saw those girls who keep looking at us?"_ Link leaned towards time as he told him. 

_"Yeah, I noticed it a while ago. I don't pay much mind to it though."_ He said back, in a quieter tone so they wouldn't raise much attention. 

Banzetta had asked Joun about his role as the new Royal Guard Captain, Joun even asked the retired man for pointers to help him, which he gladly said to the man. Joun was offered many drinks by Banzetta and his friends, although he refused, as he couldn't get drunk as he was to assist Impa in escorting Zelda back to her quarters after they had finished. 

" _Hey, Link. Where is the Kokiri Forest?"_ Time had asked Link out of the blue, who was confused for a moment. 

_"Kokiri?"_ He spoke, never hearing that word ever in his life. 

_"Yeah.. I heard that there's a forest somewhere but is covered in fog and mystery."_ Time told Link, who thought that he meant the Korok Forest. 

_"I think you mean the Korok Forest. Its inhabited by small forest spirits called Koroks and overlooked by the Great Deku Tree."_ Time was surprised at the last few words, as Link's voice echoed in his head. 

_'Great Deku Tree.. Tree...tree...'_ He thought, remembering the Great Deku Tree when he was still living with the Kokiri. Time saddened, knowing that the Great Deku Tree of this time line was a different one than the one he once called father. 

" _You okay?"_

_"Yeah, I was just reminiscing about my past. Say, where is this forest you speak of?"_

_"It's just north of Hyrule Castle, although you will have to go to the South East of the forest where the entrance is. I reccommend staying at Woodland stable, its a good place to rest before going to the forest,"_

_"Thanks, I'll take your word,"_ Time said as the two continued to eat. 

Banzetta then began to lift his glass, which was full with alcohol. It seemed obvious that Banzetta was starting to get a little drunk. 

" _This is a toast! A toast to the two Heroes who slayed Ganondorf! To Link and the Hero of Time!"_ Banzetta yelled as his right arm was now high, holding the glass of wine that he was drinking. Everyone then too began to lift their drinks, cheering for the two as they were a bit flustered, smiling and rubbing their necks. 

As the party finally came to an end, people began to depart back home. Link and Time would be staying at the Castle for a few weeks, until Zelda's official inauguration was held. 

Time and Link had been told that their rooms were in different parts of the castle, so they said their goodbyes as their followed their respective butlers towards their Chambers. 

Time walked through the what seemed to be endless hallway. Every time he passed a door he thought that that would be his room. Eventually, Time had reached his room and settled down, looking around and getting ready for bed. It was a nice room, it had a desk, chair, a bed for one, with a small bedside cabinet that he had found a few rupees in. There were also paintings on the wall, featuring portraits of the Royal Family and other important figures. As he sat on the side of his bed, he thought about what Link had told him about earlier. 

" _Great Deku Tree... Korok..."_

Time sighed as he lay his back down onto the comfortable bed. He took his pointy cap off, revealing short but beautiful blonde hair that mixed well with his middle parting. As he stared aimlessly at the ceiling, he wandered what he would do now. He was sealed for many generations, so it wouldn't hurt to go explore Hyrule. As he kept thinking, he also thought of the Zelda of this era. He wandered what the Zelda from his era had done after he and Ganon were sealed. 

" _Did she rebuild Hyrule alone? Or did she find people to help her? Or did she just grieve, and had the people of Hyrule itself come and take her place?"_

_"There was also that Impa girl. She reminds me of the Impa from my era. They're both shiekah as well."_

Not long after, Time's eyes began to close. And slowly, he drifted off to sleep. 

Link's room was similar to Time's, with a single bed with a desk as well. As he took off his gear, he looked out one of the windows and saw the distant lands of the necluda region. 

" _Dad.. Sister.. I'm so happy to be back, back with you all."_

Link quickly glanced to the Dueling Peaks, as he heard a loud pop. He then saw colors, exploding in the sky as more and more came and went. It reminded Link of Revali's spectacles, as he watched Deya Village launch more fireworks to celebrate the Hylian victory. 

Soon, fireworks soared up high in many more villages, as the people of Hyrule finally felt peace and at ease.

Time had woken up at 6am, and since breakfast wasn't until 7, he decided to head to the courtyard and check out the gardens that the Royal Family had prided themselves for.

As he walked through one of the many arbor arches around the garden, he would sometimes stop to inspect the plants more, even holding some to his nose and smelling the sweet scents of the well-cared for plants. As he kept walking, one flower caught his eye. As time walked towards this flower, he could see a mix of blue and white colors, as well as a beautiful green stem. It stood out to Time as it was the only plant growing around, and as he inspected it, he heard someone behind him.

" _Oh... Master Time.. I'm very sorry for startling you.."_ Impa said, while Time stood there unfazed. 

_"It's fine.. What brings you here?"_ He told the shiekah woman as she regained her posture. 

_"Well, I was told by Her Royal Highness to look out for a Silent Princess growing in the gardens here. I come here every morning just incase it does grow,"_ She told the man, as he looked behind him at the plant he just saw. 

_"You mean this one here?"_ He pointed, as Impa leaned sideways and gasped. 

_"Oh!.. Wait... OH! That is surely the rare exotic silent princess. Wow, this is the first time that it has been grown domestically! I'm sure Her highness will be delighted when she hears about this!"_ She said as her eyes glistened, as Time smiled. 

" _You remind me of someone I used to know, "_ Time told the woman as she inspected the flower. 

_"Oh really? May I ask who?"_ She said, still keeping eyes on the rare plant. 

_"She was a shiekah like you... She was the one who took care of the Zelda from my era, as well as teaching me a lullaby on my ocarina that I still remember to this day."_ He told the woman, who finally turned towards him. 

"Wow... Its a coincidence that we're both shiekah, right?" She said as they both chuckled. 

Link raced to the Dining hall. It was 6:52, and Link did NOT want to miss his meal. It would take a while to reach the Dining hall from his room, so he zoomed across many halls of the castle, passing many servants who waved at him but he did not have time to mingle. He skidded to the end of one hallway, and immediately accelerated up towards a flight of stairs, then another. As he opened the doors to the dining hall, he found a few waiters setting the table and a few people already there. Turns out that he had run through most of the castle in a couple minutes, and was early. 

Link, though exhausted had a visible embarrassed expression while he leaned one arm on the doorframe.

**A few days later**

Link was standing in the armory. Today he was going to demonstrate and spar to the soldiers and knights of the Hyrulean Army. He had put on Soldier's armor and Soldier greaves, a fit he had not wore in a long time. 

As he grabbed a soldier's shield and broadsword, he headed out and climbed some steps to the battlements where he could oversee all of the training. The courtyard was fill of soldiers, with mixed experience. Some were veterans, while some had just arrived from their home town. Link could tell which has experience and which didn't without even knowing who they were. Most veteran soldiers had that rough face and their skin looked like a layer of armor on its own. Their shields had scratches, and were worn. Their broadswords were very sharp, due to their knowledge of knowing how to sharpen their swords. The newer ones were much younger, and looked innocent. Some new arrivals were from nobility outside Hyrule Castle, including Castle Town or any of the other towns near or far from the castle. 

One noble from Castle Town was present. His name was Renkin and wore armor tinted with gold with many fancy jewels. Instead of a helmet, he wore a diamond circlet with even more jewels embedded into it. He had a royal shield and sword, renowned for its sturdy and fine craftsmanship. 

Renkin was flooded with attention by both genders, some wanted to be his friend while others wanted to impress him or get to know him. There were a few others like him, who wore fancy armor and finely made weapons. Link had seen one noble with a diamond infused shortsword, one of the most sturdy swords in Hyrule. Another had bought a lynel crusher, who still struggled to lift it off the ground even with both hands. 

As conversation ensued down in the yard, suddenly a group of Hylian Captains had marched out, along with a few royal guards and veteran knights who joined link atop the battlements. One of the royal guards, named Maddison, approached Link. 

" _Hey, you're Link, right?"_ Maddison said, a bit nervous. 

_"Uh, yeah. What's up? "_ Link replied. 

_"Oh nothing.. I just..really admire what you do. I know that I and many others aspired to become Hyrulean Knights and beyond because of the tales of your deeds."_ Maddison told Link as her cheeks started to turn a little red. 

_"Wow, I didn't know that. How long have you been a Royal Guard for?"_ Link asked Maddison as she was flustered, embarrassed that Link wanted to know more about her. 

_"Oh! Well, uhhh.. I was only knighted a few weeks ago, so I'm pretty new to this position.."_ She replied. 

_"Oh, well congratulations. I hope you enjoy your time as a royal guard, and your Captain is a pretty solid guy. But I think he has left to the Rito again to help with the exploration."_ Link said as he put a finger on his chin. 

_"Oh! Yes, my captain is not present right now. And thanks, hehe!"_ Maddison replied, silently giggling that Link had congratulated her. 

As Link looked down at the Captains who were explaining things to the recruits, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. 

_"Oh, you're Link, right?"_ The man asked. 

_"Yeah, whats up?"_ Link replied. The man was pretty big, and had a beard that screamed his manliness. 

_"Nothing, really. Not many monsters been showing up, y'know? Kinda getting boring.."_ He told Link, who nodded. 

_"Yeah, but that means Hyrule can finally heal."_ He replied, as the man smiled at his comment. 

_"You're right. And the names Baldrick, nice to meet you."_ Baldrick was a veteran Knight, one of the best knights in Hyrule. He was renowned for his great sword skills, usually weilding a knight's claymore into battle. The two shook hands, and link could feel the roughness of his skin, a sign he was a true warrior. He was apart of the eight Knight Captains, an elite title for the eight warriors who led the Hyrulean Knights. 

_"You.. You've been in many battles, yes?"_ He asked Baldrick, who smiled. 

_"Oh, so you could tell by my hand? Yeah, I've had some pretty rough encounters over my years."_ Baldrick replied, reminiscing on his near death encounters he had when he was still a young Knight. 

" _Ive heard that you took two Gold Lynels on and came out without a scratch. Is that true? "_ Baldrick asked link. 

_"I guess. It went pretty rough though as I didn't have a shield."_ He said, remembering when he had nearly gotten hit a couple times. 

_"Fighting a lynel without a shield? Young people sure are mad these days.."_ Baldrick replied, as Link smirked, as they both watched back at the recruits. 

" _And one last thing, recruits! We have a very special guest who has come from his very busy schedule to watch over your training today! He also has a message of his own! Behold, Link!"_ One of the Soldier Captains shouted as he pointed up towards the battlements, at Link who was surprised. 

Message? Link had no message. Was he set up by Zelda who was the one to organise the training? Link internally panicked, though did a great job at hiding it. 

Murmurs spread across the soldiers as they looked up towards the hero. Some were now excited, ready to impress Link with their skills. Some were surprised, as they had only seen Link when he was at ceremonies. 

" _Go on, Hero!"_ Baldrick told Link as the knights and soldiers waited for him to begin his speech. 

_"Well, uhh. As soldiers of Hyrule, you must know that your job is to not slay monsters. It is to protect the people! If you enjoy killing bad guys, then strive to be a Knight! And don't worry if you don't have many rupees. Your initial gear costs will be covered, so focus on getting stronger. And remember this last very important tip.Your strength does not depend on your gear. Even if you hold the Master Sword, you will still be weak if you lack the skill! "_

Soldiers cheered. The captains overseeing the training nodded in approval. Link had somehow managed to make a great speech on the spot. Link sighed as the soldiers finally begun their training, which included drills, simulated scenarios, and sparring. 

Link was told he would demonstrate the sparring when it was time, so he watched the soldiers anxiously, waiting to see what skill the New soldiers of Hyrule had in them. 


	12. A Soldier's Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soldiers of Hyrule begin their training, as Link watches and also demonstrates his combat abilities.

Soldiers drew their blades and slashed at the dummies. Shielding drills were also made, as one soldier would strike a soldier who would block with their shield. 

The captains overlooked the training, as Link and the others did too. He saw the sloppiness in their forms, and knew that the new ones were definitely needed in some real training. He looked towards the veteran soldiers, who instead of drills were doing mainly sparring and formation practice. 

As the recruits finally made it onto formation practice, they would get in rows and the front row would hold their shields out, the second would strike with their swords through the gaps between the front rows, and the back row would aim their bows and shoot from afar. Soldiers on the sides and back would defend their directions, as to make sure they would not be ambushed. To make a good formation you also needed synergy between one another, which is why activities that had soldiers bond and get to know each other were important. Link saw hardly any with the recruits, as he looked a bit disappointed. Especially the nobles, who would drift off from their specific roles in their row, as they would use their swords if they were in the front or push the soldiers in front of them just to land a hit. Renkin was one in particular. 

" _Renkin! Stop pushing your fellow recruits. Remember to stick to your assigned role and don't do your own thing!"_ A male captain yelled while Renkin had a look of disgust. 

_"Ughh.. Why Do I have to listen to him? I could just get my family to pay the Royal Family to have him removed and make me a Knight.."_ Renkin whispered to himself while he smiled. 

" _I don't think that's how it works."_ A soldier who was next to Renkin whispered to him. 

_"Shut up, I know what I say works, if it doesn't, I'll simply make it work with the help of my parents and influence."_ Renkin said back, in a little louder tone. His parents were certainly powerful as they were patrons of the Royal Family. 

As formation practice finished, scenario practice was next. 

" _Alright everyone, now we will move on to scenarios. You will be set up in a certain scenario and you must take the best cause of action. Remember, there are also civilians and teammates who you must watch out for, so sometimes going straight for the enemy isn't the best cause of action. "_ A Hylian Captain explained as the recruits began to get sorted. 

In one situation, a single soldier would be surrounded by 3 enemies in front and one behind. As the three enemies launched their attacks, the soldier dodged out of the way and instead had the enemy behind him get hit. As the three stood in confusion, the soldier thrusted his sword forward, striking all three enemies in a single strike. 

Another scenario was when a group of enemies had a civilian hostage. The two soldiers who were tasked to do this activity were hidden, and one caught the attention of the enemies, while the second went behind to take out the hostage taker. As the enemies charged to the decoy soldier, the other sneakily grabbed the hostage taker and threw him to the ground, safely bringing the hostage to a safe location before they took out the rest of the opponents. 

Most soldiers had the bearings around combat intelligence. Some needed some help, as a few had just charged to the enemy, unaware of the potential hostages or danger. 

As Link looked on, he had mixed feelings about the recruits, unsure if they were fit to become knights. As he looked on, he saw one young boy who looked like he had never held a sword before. The boy held a broadsword with two hands, while surrounded by 5 enemies. He charged towards one, knocking them down then twisting his body in a fluid motion to hit another. He turned his back to one enemy and faced another. He striked the one he was looked at and the one behind him struck his shield, which was strapped on his back. The boy then kicked the opponent, staggering him then taking him down. The last opponent leaped towards him, about to jump slash the boy. Quickly, he rolled and dodged the strike, then swung his blade sideways, meeting the hips of his opponent and knocking him down. Link was impressed, this was certainly some advanced techniques and probably the best he had seen today. He continued to look at the boy, who continued to strike down every opponent he had met. The boy was unaware of Link, until he took a quick glance at the ramparts and saw the man looking towards him. His face turned a little red, but he continued to fight swiftly, if not even better than before. 

Now the time had finally come, the part most people came here for. The sparring. 

_"I know many of you have arrived just to show your skills. Well, now is the time. There will be a tournament, and you will spar a random opponent. Remember your training. You will have to take your opponent's weapon and the combat style they use. You may have to fight differently compared to what you usually do. But that's all about being a warrior, being flexible and rising to the many challenges you will face. "_ The Hylian Captain said as the crowd filled with excitement, unease and egotistical fighters. 

" _The winner of the tournament will face off against our friend here Link, and will be pushed to their absolute limits. Good luck! "_

Murmurs, whispers and excitement increased. It was any fighter's dream to be able to spar against one of the best warriors in hyrule, and in this case, it was the very best. 

People brandished their weapons, held their shields tightly as they listened to the Hylian Captain who explained who was versing who. "

Though Link had been watching over for a while now, he knew all too well that the real training begun now. 

A clang of metal could be heard as one fighter after another fell to their opponent. The crowd roared like a Lynel as the fighting kept on going. The young boy link had seen earlier was still in the tournament, taking down opponents who looked twice the size of him. 

Renkin had unfortunately defeated every opponent he faced so far, and the ones he couldnt; he just promised them a large amount of rupees. Which strangely worked. 

As a sword met greatsword, two fighters who had vastly different builds and fighting styles battled it out to the semifinals. With a single downwards strike, the opponent with the greatsword had smashed the other's broadsword, breaking it in half which then made the loser concede. 

As the semifinals begun, the yells kept on increasing. Every time a fighter would land a finishing blow, the crowd would pause for a second, then continue their cheering, only louder. It was like the sound barrier was going to break. 

As Renkin entered the arena, arms out widely to embrace the cheers, he had a smug look as he brandished his weapons and looked at his opponent. 

His eyes widened. 

" _M-mophus?"_ Renkin said in shock as his opponent readied his spear, with nothing but a look of anger. 

Mophus didn't really have any dirt on Renkin, but after his crushing defeat to Daruk at the knight's assessment, his reputation was tarnished much more than anyone else. Heck, he had nearly been disowned! 

But Mophus came to the recruits opening exam. Although he trained to become a Knight, he had never become a soldier because his family had convinced the Royal Family not to. Mophus no longer looked like the man he was back at the Colossieum. Instead of taking on the crowd, he despised it. All he wanted to do was redeem himself and his reputation by being victorious in this tournament. 

Renkin gulped. He knew that all though Mophus had been embarrassed at the Colossieum, he did manage to overcome Daruk's training which is known to be one of the toughest challenges a Hylian can try, meaning that Renkin, who only knew the basics and a few advanced sword techniques, was no match for the fallen noble. 

_"Uh, Hey! Mophus... Maybe you could go a bit easier on me? Please? I'll pay you! I'll pay you as many rupees as you want! 1000,2000, even 5000! Please man!"_ Renkin told the still but intimidating man. Mophus stared at the boy, eyes still focused and in his battle stance, like he was a statue of a hero. 

" _I don't want your filthy money. The only thing I want is to see you and whoever is next's faces in the ground."_ Mophus snarled as Renkin panicked and became desperate. 

The signal to start the fight begun, and before Renkin could take a step, Mophus charged towards him, lunging his spear towards his foe. Renkin looked at his body. He saw that he was unscathed, in fact Mophus had striked the shield of Renkin, as they both stood still. 

Renkin took the chance to thrust his sword but Mophus back stepped, avoiding the hit and charging in for another. Renkin blocked with his royal shield that covered pretty much most of his body. Mophus kept charging forward, thrusting his spear towards the defensive Renkin who kept his shield up. He felt a force against his shield, and pushed it back, sending Mophus backwards. Mophus quickly got up, but was met with a sword to his chest which he blocked with the shaft of his spear. He forced the bottom of his spear outwards, knocking Renkin back and kicking him, sending him to the ground. With all his might, Mophus sent his spear into the ground, missing Renkin who successfully recovered. Mophus tried to lift his spear out of the ground, but couldn't as the multiple tips of his royal spear were lodged into the ground. Mophus finally lifted it out, but wasn't able to see Renkin who successfully landed a blow to the side of his body with all his strength, flinging the gasping Mophus sideways and into the ground. 

Mophus got up, but could not defend against the noble, who had went all into offensive mode. He tried to block with his spear but could not as his accuracy was off as his vision was still impaired from the fall to the ground. With one last push, Renkin yelled as he held his shield in front of him and rammed it into Mophus, sending him flying to the ground, as well as disarming him as his spear flew to the ground and landed a few feet away from him. 

Renkin lifted his sword arm up high, smiling as the crowd cheered, as the first winner of the semifinals had been decided. 

The second fight was about to begin, and it was the boy Link was watching. It turned out his name was Zoro, who entered the arena as he looked at his opponent. 

His opponent was a smaller Hylian woman, who looked about the same age as him. Her name was Ivy, and she was the little sister of Maddison and Rose, who had become a Knight. 

Link looked to his left to see that Rose, one of the warriors who had successfully proven their worth at the Colossieum, was standing next to her sister, Maddison, as they both watched and cheered for Ivy. He looked back, and saw that Ivy held a traveler's bow and a lot of arrows.

 _"An archer?"_ He thought.

The trio of siblings had come from a small village in Akkala. Maddison had trained to be a village warrior, and when told to go to Hyrule Castle to try to become a Knight, she agreed and set off. Wanting to be like her sister, Rose trained as well and set off to Hyrule Castle with Ivy a few years later to become Knights too. 

The signal went off, and the two began to duel. Ivy took out her bow at incredible speed and fired a lone arrow towards Zoro, followed by much more, heading on different trajectories to try to hit Zoro as he dodged. Zoro held his shield as he rolled, blocking the incoming arrows but Ivy kept on firing. As she let loose arrow after arrow, Zoro could not advance as he was bombarded with arrows. Ivy kept on moving back, as she knew that she could lose if they engaged in physical combat. Zoro had a frustrated look on his face, as he kept on dodging the arrows while simultaneously moving forward. But Ivy was able to move backwards much faster. Zoro dodged sideways, but was hit in the soldier by one arrow. He grimaced, as he knelt down, shield still up blocking the arrows. As he was still, Ivy took the chance to move a little sideways, and aiming at the side of Zoro who moved away just in time to avoid the arrow. 

Link had noticed a discreet flaw in Ivy's annoying but strange style, and Zoro noticed as well. She never moved much, only moving a little bit to fire at a different angle. Ivy had near perfect accuracy with her shots, but would it be a different story if she was shooting while on the move? 

Zoro had no other option. He braced, and kept his head tucked down behind his shield as he held it tightly, before charging forwards. As he felt the arrows hit his shield, he imagined that his shield would look spiky due to the amount of arrows lodged in the wooden Soldier's shield. Ivy quickly tried to move back but could not as Zoro kept charging. She leaped sideways, firing a shot but had terrible Accuracy. Zoro noticed the girl in the corner of his eye, and turned to face her before charging in once again. Ivy tried to move away from the boy, but could not fire an accurate shot as she had to keep on moving. Zoro poked his eyes out on top of the shield, to see Ivy, who seemed to panic as she kept on firing her arrows. Zoro strafed left and right, dodging the incoming arrows before he finally caught up with the fleeing girl, ramming his shield into her as they both hit the ground and rolled. Ivy fired a shot towards where she thought Zoro was, but saw nothing. Zoro had quickly gotten up and leaped behind Ivy before she could notice, before he grabbed the girl and threw her across the ground. Ivy groaned, as she let go of her bow and dug her face info the ground, laying there in defeat while the crowd cheered for Zoro's victory. Ivy looked towards the sky, to see Zoro looking down on the girl, holding his arm out as to help her up. Ivy smiled at the gesture, as she put her hand on his as he pulled her up. The two shook hands as they walked away.

It was time, time for the finals. 

The crowd screamed at unimaginable levels, on par with the roars of the four divine beasts. 

As their names were called, both Zoro and Renkin stepped into the arena, both uneasy about the strength of their opponent. they both knew that this would decide it all. They both wanted to win, but knew that only one could come out victorious. 

Everyone watched closely, eyes on one of the two who were both in their battle stance, who would react a split second after the signal went off. 

As the tensity grew, liking a blooming flower, the sound was finally heard as the two races towards each other, yelling as they met shields. though Zoro only used soldiers gear, he was able to push back the royal shield who was near equal strength with him. the two stepped back, regaining their footing before diving back into the fight. Zoro went on the offensive, thrusting and swinging his swords in all kinds of direction, so that Renkin would not be able to distinguish his fighting style. Not that he could anyway. Zoro swung his blade a little harder this time, striking Renkin's shield, before Renkin quickly countered back but hit Zoro's shield a well. it seemed that the battle would end in a stalemate, with the two not having hit each other yet, even though the battle was lasting longer than most duels. It seemed like an eternity before someone finally got hit, as Zoro had kicked Renkin's shield, staggering him as he successfully hit Renkin, sending him backwards.

Renkin got up, but Zoro kept on swinging. Renkin dodged the blows, and swung an unexpected wild hit, striking Zoro although not taking him down. Renkin swung again, but this time Zoro blocked with his broadsword as he used his shield hand to grab Renkin's sword hand, who struggled but couldn't break free from the younger but stronger foe in terms of physical strength. Renkin instead tried to punch Zoro but yelped in pain as his knuckled met the wood of Zoro's shield, although his royal shield had hit Zoro, staggering him although he kept his tight grip and quickly recovered. Renkin punched again, with his royal shield striking Zoro right in the head as he was knocked back, but before he inevitably loosened his grip on Renkin's hand, he low kicked the side of Renkin's knee, making him collapse as he to fell down. The crowd was wild now. Most soldiers were never trained in hand to hand combat or lower body combat. So it was rare to see when a soldier had inflicted damage with their feet and hands. Zoro could not use the full extent of his intermediate martial arts, one he had been trained from his home village in Hyrule Ridge, as his soldier's gear was quite the load, as well as his armor. But Zoro was sure he could pull off his moves in his armor, though he had to lose the weapons. Renkin swung his sword towards Zoro, blocked then returned fire. As he did, Renkin tried to parry but missed the timing, as he was too early and hit in the chest spot on.

" _Shit.. I gotta stick to things I'm sure I can do"_ Renkin thought to himself as he got up, wiping some blood off his mouth. Zoro kept his sword in front of him, his eyes on his foe. Renkin did the same as the two walked sideways, circling each other and wating for one to strike. Zoro did, who rolled forward as Renkin swung his sword but could not hit Zoro who was behind him. Zoro quickly kicked the ankle of one of Renkin's feet, causing him to lose his balance before Zoro kicked him in the chest, knocking him back. Zoro had done that because his sword and shield were sheathed so he could pull off that first move. Fearing that Renkin would recover the time he brandished his weapons made him send another kick to Renkin though it wouldn't deal as much damage as a sword. Link was a bit shocked. It had been a while since he saw actual martial arts in action, except when he and his dad always sparred when he was a child. Renkin yelled as he charged right back towards Zoro, who dodged side ways, but Renkin was able to punch him while he was mid roll. Zoro grunted as Renkin kicked him, trying not to let him get up. But however Zoro knew how to counter this. Zoro, who's face was now bleeding, grabbed the incoming ankle and yanked them down, sending Renkin to the floor before he rolled right onto Renkin, slamming him with his shoulder and back as he finished with his back hand into his face. Renkin screamed as he grabbed the boy and threw him sideways, grabbing his sword and throwing it much farther so that Zoro could not retrieve it. As Renkin regained his composure, Zoro had now abandoned the empty sword scabbard and placed his shield onto his back. He raised his two fists, ready as Zoro was now going to use his full combat skills. Though they were not the best, it was still better than most people in Hyrule. Renkin smiled as he charged towards Zoro, thinking that he had won because Zoro had no sword. using the metal plates on his gauntlets, Zoro blocked the strike, as he gripped onto the blade of the sword and tried to pull it back, however Renkin was tugging as well. The two had a tug o war with the broadsword before Zoro finally kicked Renkin, who staggered back but was able to win his sword back. Zoro advanced, fists still up before out of nowhere he did a very smooth roundhouse kick, hitting Renkin straight in the face as he stepped back, dazed before Zoro kneed Renkin as he right hooked him straight in the face, although he was still standing. Renkin tried to fight back but was met with a uppercut to his chin, lifting him off the ground and slamming back into it, as the bloodied Renkin finally fell, leaving Zoro as the winner of the tournament. 

The people cheered, as Zoro picked up his sword and scabbard before offering the downed Renkin a hand, just like he did with Ivy. Renkin stated at him coldly, before looking down and sighing as he sticked his hand out, before medics had come and helped assist the two back to their seating areas, giving them both hearty medicine which had magically healed their wounds and stopped all bleeding in a few minutes. In 45 minutes, the most anticipated duel would arrive where Zoro faced the absolute unit that was Link. the crowd slowly dispersed, as most would wander around Castle Town Market or around the castle area available to the public. Zoro was given an energising elixir, which would return his stamina back to full. 

Link walked back towards the armory, passing Maddison, Rose, Baldrick and other figures as he had a change of plan. Instead, he opted for the much lighter and versatile wild set, the same one he had been wearing for most of the time since he had been revived. Instead of using the Hylian Shield, he would use a simple soldiers shield and sword. As same as Zoro. who had changed into a lighter but still protective layer of armor. It had no metal plates, but the material was tough and harder to pierce,while still giving the user flexibility in the limbs and joints. Zoro did not like the limiting weight of the soldiers armor, so he decided to wear his customised outfit instead. 

As 40 minutes had passed, soon, people were slowly gathering back into the training grounds as the fight was still being set up. Zoro was clad in his protective clothing, leather gauntlets and boots, as he had his soldiers gear in both his hands, standing at one door of the grounds, while Link, who wore his seemingly unarmoured garb but was in fact extremely sturdy due to being reinforced with dragon parts at the Great Fairy Fountain, stood at the opposite door, staring at the empty arena and slowly gathering crowd. Zoro waited anxiously, he thought many thoughts but ultimately knew he only had one goal. 

" _To defeat Link"._

Baldrick was still atop the battlements, waiting patiently as the battle was soon to begin. He always carried his trusty Knight's Claymore on his back because he would never be sure when a surprise attack would come, even within the fortified walls of the castle. Maddison and Rose were also atop the battlements, as the defeated Ivy soon joined them with special access as they conversed and waited patiently as well for the ultimate duel. Maddison looked quite excited, as she had always heard rumors while she was a Knight of Link's seemingly godly skills,but had never actually seen them with her own eyes. 

4 minutes had passed, then finally the last. The crowd cheered as the two stepped out to the battlefield, not batting an eye to the crowd but only their opponent, as they both had looks of determination. Most of the people who had heard descriptions of Link's battle appearance but had never seen it could not take their eyes off the Hero, especially Maddison. he looked exactly liked what he was described as, long, blonde hair, sideburns moving like a golden waterfall, and eyes that almost seemed manipulating. Link, in his full wild set, held his sword out, and Zoro, with his flexible armor, also held his sword out. The two stood there like they were frozen, and the only way to thaw them out was to signal the start of the duel. 

As the Hylian Captain had his arm extended in front of him, sideways, he raised it up in a rapid motion while shouting, finally beginning the duel most people were here for. 

And with that, Zoro and Link charged towards each other, blade in hand. 

**Zora's Domain**

" _Ah, Princess Mipha! How good it is to see you happy again. I have gathered and forged all the metal and fabric you asked for, as well as the measurements you specified."_ Dento said as Mipha entered his workshop. She saw all kinds of tridents, Zora weapons and random parts on the desks and wall. She approached Dento as he revealed a table with all the parts she was looking for. There were various metal plates, as well as sheets of protective scales, the Zora equivalent to chain mail, except that one could wear it and move around freely in. There was also blue fabric, one that would not slow one down in the water. There were also small jewels, ranging from emerald to Ruby to sapphire, but were too small to be sold at a high price. Amongst other smaller parts there was the Zora symbol. three crescents that kind of resembled the triforce. 

_"Thank you Dento, this truly means alot."_ Mipha said as she began to pack the various parts. 

_"Do not worry, Mipha. As long as I live, I will gladly make anything that you ask for."_ Dento replied with a warming smile. 

Mipha smiled back, as she saved goodbye to the old Zora and departed back to her room. 

As Mipha walked, she still held the Zora symbol in her palm, and closed her fingers onto the finely carved metal. 

_"I wonder, wonder if he will like this."_

Mipha placed her bags down and sat at her desk. Then she thought for a while, before finally picking up a pen and began to write a letter. 

_"Dear Link,_

_Please come to Zora's Domain whenever you are free. I have something very important to show you. I also would prefer that you come alone. Stay safe._

_Mipha"_

She sent a Zora messenger with her message to Hyrule Castle that would arrive in a few days. And with that, Mipha finally began unloading and organising her parts, as she grabbed a few tools and set to work for making her very special gift for Link. 

Zoro met Link as they met blades at the same time. Zoro went on the offense, as Link seemingly easily defended his blows. Zoro tried to kick Link, but he moved his legs and elbowed him down. Zoro got up, but was met by Link's shield as he rammed him, staggering as Link hit him with his sword, sending him flying backwards into a wall. Zoro placed his hand on his shoulder, but did not give up hope. Link had not advanced yet, instead he waited for Zoro to get up. Eventually, Zoro did, as instead of blindly charging at Link like most people, he kept his distance, moving in circles parallel to Link as he slowly regained energy. Link slowly moved towards Zoro, as they still continued to circle around, when finally they were only a few meters apart. Link grunted as he charged forward and jump slammed Zoro, who moved sideways and tried to counter hit Link, Who instead countered his counter with his sword before moving backwards. Link charged, and since he knew Zoro would dodge him, he instead jumped at the last second, now above Zoro before he pointed his sword downwards, thrusting it down on Zoro who held his shield above him. Though soldier's swords never pierced their counterpart shields, Link had immense strength that was known to rival that of the Gorons. His sword pierced through the shield, nearly hitting Zoro who had moved his head slightly right just in time. Link placed his feet on the shield, crouching before jumping backwards, back flipping while he lifting his sword out of the shield. Zoro staggered, amazed at the acrobatic skill Link possessed. He looked at his shield, which now had a horizontal hole near the middle, and threw it away. It would be near useless as if Link would strike it another few times the shield would break altogether due to the weakness of the hole. He gripped his sword with two hands, and stared at Link who stood still for a moment before he charged back in. Zoro angled his sword in different directions to block the incoming sword strikes from the attacking Link. Link stepped back for a moment, before placing his shield on his back and two handing his sword, which would make his hits much harder and faster. Zoro decided to charge, hitting Link who deflected his blows as they continued fighting. Zoro would not let Link get a chance to go offensive, and Link knew this. Instead, as Zoro was about to land another hit, Link turned his back to him, which bolstered his shield as Zoro struck it, staggering back, allowing Link just enough time to hold his sword out before he did a spin attack. Zoro was hit twice, the first made him lose his balance while the other struck him hard, making him fall backwards as he hit the ground. Zoro got up, and began to charge back towards Link, who had still not suffered a single hit this entire duel. Zoro yelled as he swung at Link in a frenzy, though the Hero deflected every blow before returning fire, in which Zoro blocked as well. As Link swung his sword horizontally, Zoro ducked, and he smiled. He finally had an opportunity to strike. He sweep kicked Link who began to fall, and Zoro used all his remaining strength to swing his sword at Link, who would surely not be able to react as he was still midair and surprised. However. Link straightned his body, as Zoro's swing just missed his back and legs. Link threw his hands behind him, then proceeded to back handspring and regain footing. Time slowed down, which meant Link knew what move to finish with.

Link grabbed his sword, and zipped towards Zoro who was still mid swing, his face just realising that Link had dodged. In real time, it would seem like Link had super speed, who would of moved away from him at inhylian speed. As he was still in bullet time, Link began swinging his sword at Zoro, landing seven hits before he finally left his own stasis-like World. To everyone else, they could not even comprehend that Link had dodged Zoro's final hit before Link had Flurry rushed Zoro, who was knocked backwards at an incredible distance, still shocked as he hit the ground hard. Though his armor had cushioned his fall, He tried to get up but couldn't, like his mind was warning him,

" _That man is stronger than a demon. A Goron. His speed is faster than the rate that electricity travels, and Zora in the water and Rito in the sky are nothing compared to his insane agility._

_Is he even Hylian? How can someone even be this strong?"_

That was what Zoro thought to himself, before trying his absolute hardest to get up, but failed. As he kneeled there on the floor, a few tears escaped from his eyes. He finally looked up, before conceding.

As his expression looked like he had lost his humanity, a sudden hand was felt on his shoulder. He looked up, only to see Link, who patted him on his back before helping to lift him up. 

_"Your skills have already surpassed the threshold required to be a Knight, and even beyond. I applaud your courage, and hope that you will have the strength to pass your limits."_ Link finally told the boy who was now smiling, you wouldn't even notice that tears were swelling up in his eyes a few seconds ago.

As the two shook hands, Link began to walk away. As he did, Zoro began to spoke. 

" _Thank you Link, truly. "_

Link did not turn back, or make any noise. Instead, he had a grin on his face, sheathing his weapons as the crowd cheered. Zoro smiled before he too walked back to his armory. And thus, ending the highly anticipated duel between Link and Zoro. 

" _I nearly stuttered just then.." Link_ said as he wiped some sweat off his forehead. 

" _Skills better than a fully fledged Knight. Strength surpassing even a Hinoxes. Speed that would make even an arrow seem slow. So this is the power of the Hylian Champion.. I see why he was chosen by the sacred sword."_ Baldrick said as he watched atop the battlements, as most people seemed to agree with him. Maddison could not keep her eyes off Link, who's slim yet muscular build would not let her look at something else. Rose and Ivy were arguing, but it was common for the two to quarrel while back in their village in Akkala. Renkin looked at his palms, and saw sweat. In fact, his body was sweating. 

" _Why am I sweating? Im not even participating!?"_ Renkin thought, as he wiped off the sweat. Was it watching Zoro who valiantly fought against Link? He thought many more thoughts, before a final lasting one appeared in his mind. 

_"Did Zoro.. Go easy on me?"_

As Zoro exited from the armory, wearing his basic clothing and personal weapons, he was immediately met by his fellow friends and soldier colleagues. They all asked him how it was like to fight Link, in which he only responded with blatant short answers, trying to stay humble as possible. He tried to trudge his way back to Hyrule Castle, ignoring the many questions he was asked as he nearly drowned in male and female attention. 

Link was now to head to the sanctum, where Zelda would give her new orders to the Knights of Hyrule. This would also be Aryll's first mission as a Knight, which Link always thought to be the hardest. He was also going to be appointed orders, as Zelda did not want his power as a warrior to go to waste. He was fine with it though. If it was slaying monsters, Link would be on the job fast. 

**Hebra North Summit**

At the very North of the vastly uncharted Hebra region, the North Summit, situated in the North-West corner, was a mountain that wasn't connected to the main part of the Hebra mountains that were south-east. It seemed like your everyday mountain, large, rocky, and had lots of small camps filled with monsters that thrived in frost. Except that wasn't the case. At the side of the mountain that faced north, there was a small cave-like entrance. At first it just seemed like a dark shelter, but deeper within, you could see some light being emitted, orange-yellow colors which were presumably torches. At the end of the cave, it led to a giant, open underground space. There were many ice spikes petruding from the ceiling, as well as a few on the ground. There were lots of wooden structures, such as ones seen at the military training camp. There were also a bunch of chests in one corner, which contained supplies and stock for the people who lived down here. There were also many campfires, some having frozen meat skewered above it so it could cook. It became clear who lived here. Monsters. But not just any monster, most known monster species had resided here, to bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos, hinox, lynel, keese, chuchu etc. The only exception were monsters who couldn't survive in the cold, like octorocks, molduga, etc. however, one monster stood out. It was a lynel, however they weren't normal. They weren't red, blue, black, silver or gold. Instead, their skin was light blue, similar to the coldness of the Hebra. They had white stripes, and a white mane as well. Their horns were their distinct feature, as they were pointy and crystallised blue, and they had purple eyes which seemed to strike fear into the other monsters. This Lynel was not a Gold Lynel, but in fact a Crystal Lynel. A very rare type of Lynel that's information is basically unknown, except for the fact that they used to be an uncommon type of Lynel, like the silver or gold lynel, until most of them were slaughtered in a few years. It is woven into the old tales that the Hero of Twilight: The successor of the famed Hero of Time, had went on a journey, travelling to the edges of the land just in search for these Lynels which he would brutally murder, taking various parts like their horns, skin, their hooves which he cut off, sometimes cutting off a whole leg as well. Sometimes all of their internal organs were missing, leaving only a hollowed Lynel corpse. Even their weapons which were reinforced savage lynel weapons, had been looted from the dead corpse after they were killed in various ways. It is known to most that the Crystal Type of Lynel had gone completely extinct, as how they became crystal or where they lived was never recorded, and this extinction was mainly due to hunting singlehandedly by the Hero of Twilight. 

The monsters jumped up and down and made various monster noises, talking to each other and eating chunks of meat that had been hunted. 

The crystal Lynel paced around, before letting out a huge roar that surpassed those of gold. Even the group of Hinoxes who were all snoring in one area of the cave had woken. The monsters all slowly gathered to where the Crystal Lynel was, as the Lynel held up a body, one that was still clothed. The monsters yelled, like they were all chanting at the dead body. The body in question, had green clothing that was darker than Time's own green garb, as the face looked like one that was a warrior. His arms were filled with muscle, indicating that this boy could've been someone like a farm boy. And he was, well, used to.

At eventide Island, an uncharted island filled with various monsters as hardly no one ever ventured to the island, and the ones who did, never came back. At the top of Koholit Rock, a body was covered by leaves and other nature. This boy was also wearing green, but instead seemed much shorter and younger, like he was around twelve. His hair was more blonde, and his face seemed very cartoonish. Near the coastlines, a small sailboat was spotted. It was a remake of the King of Red Lions, the legendary boat in which the Hero of Winds had used to sail the seas. 

At the Forgotten Temple, at the northern end of the Tanagar Canyon, past all the dead guardian bodies was a giant Goddess Statue. On the small offering alter in front, lay another dead body. One that looked young as well. The body wore green and had a light layer of chain mail underneath. He had long hair like Link's, and sideburns that looked almost the same as Link's own. It was clear who this body belonged to. Someone who used to live on the islands in the sky. 

Lastly, underground Hyrule Castle, lay a still, young boy who again was wearing green. This Link was not dead, however, but was merely sleeping for many millenia. What could he be dreaming about? The boy dreamt about an island, with a massive egg at top. This boy was clearly Linked to his past, having dreams about his past adventures and battles against the Dark King Ganon, who took the form of a big, blue boar. The boy who was in a deep slumber underneath Hyrule Castle, was the Hero of Legend. 

As the ceremony at the sanctum begun, All knights of Hyrule would attend, as Zelda was to give out her first orders to the warriors in a few weeks. Zelda wanted to first examine the knight's abilities, and decide if she would have them go on her secret mission. 

Zelda had a chat with the 8 Knight Captains. 

" _You and your teams will work in groups of around 6. I will dispatch you to different areas of Hyrule, so you can defeat the monsters which reside there. One last thing. Please note your teams abilities in combat. We will have another meeting after you return in which I would like you to name the members of your team who you think possess great combat skills. "_

The captains nodded before they left the meeting room, leaving a pondering Zelda, who wondered if any would be capable of taking on her mission. 


	13. The Eight Knight Captains

Zelda stood atop the throne in the sanctum. She was waiting for the knights of Hyrule, which numbered about 48 including the 8 Knight Captains. Usually the Captain of the Royal Guard would also be the General of the Hyrulean forces. Joun was at Hyrule Castle, who had just returned from Rito Village, in which he would be returning shortly back. Joun stood next to Zelda as Zelda and Joun conversed, before Joun kissed Zelda on the cheek before anyone could see. Zelda had a flustered smile, before returning a kiss back.

Zoro aimlessly wandered around Castle Town, wondering what he should do. He was never around this many people, passing the many merchants and travelers who were all bursting with talk. He then heard screams, as confusion ran through the crowds of Castle Town. A woman screamed before she fell backwards, just dodging the incoming horse that rode straight through the crowds, forcing the people to make a path for him. The rider wore a hooded cloak, hiding his face and body. What was visible was that he had a small sheath on his hip, possibly a dagger for defense. He also held something in his other hand, what seemed to be a helmet of some sorts, shined gold and had various jewels on it. 

" _Get back here! Someone stop him!"_ Zoro heard as he looked back to see the stable owner holding a broom, yelling at the escaping theif.

The guards tried to stop him but were forced back as the horse pushed past them as they reached the gates. Guards finally rushed from the barracks, but it was too late. The thief had exited Castle Town, and had successfully escaped. 

As the guards walked back, people finally began to disperse from the scene and return to what they were doing, before another neigh of a horse could be heard, breaking the gloomy aura. 

Zoro's face lightned up.

" _Link? No, he doesn't look the same. Then who could it be? Wait.."_ Zoro said. 

The man who seemed to be chasing the thief wore green, and as he continued past castle town, the people began cheering and telling him to capture the theif. The horse was no regular horse. It was Epona, Time's legendary horse who's speed was unrivaled. 

Time raced past the gates, focusing on the small outline of the thief as it gradually became bigger. The thief looked back, seeing the approaching Hero of Time. He whipped the horse, as he began to panic. Time held the master sword up, before swiping it forward, sending a beam of light towards the thief, hitting him spot on and causing him to fall and tumble. 

The thief got up and tried to run, but was trampled by Epona as Time hopped off, landing next to the downed thief. The thief quickly tried to use their dagger but Time caught their arm, gripping it tightly before he used the bottom of his sword to knock the thief out. As he unveiled the hood, he saw that it was a small Gerudo woman.

He placed the unconscious woman onto Epona before he rode back to Castle Town, holding her so that she wouldn't fall. He reached Castle Town and handed the girl over to the guard forces. They then took her into custody. As he stood near the town square, he wondered where he would go next. He then remembered what Link had told him at the diner Hall. 

" _Korok Forest.."_

Time mounted his steed, and with a map of most of Hyrule, he rode northward to where the Great Hyrule Forest resided. He wondered if his friends still existed. 

As the all the Knights had arrived, Zelda decided to begin her speech. 

" _Ahem, Valiant Knights of Hyrule, I greatly appreciate you all for coming here today. I will explain to you your new missions, for you have not had much activity in a few weeks."_

A few nodded, agreeing with Zelda's statement. 

_"Let us begin. You will be in a group of 6, led by your respective captain which you should know by now. I will one by one call out each captain and explain their duty. Once done, you will meet up in your groups and plan your journey, which you will leave in a few days to complete. "_

The eight Captains were all notorious and famous for their respective battling styles and their armor, going from flashy colorful armor, to more simple metal plating.

The Captains stood tall at the front, where all the knights could see. Their vastly different looks and sizes made them look like a band of mercenaries. 

_"Iron Knight Tarkus, you will head to Akkala where you will exterminate monsters in Torin Wetland. The mayor of Tarrey Town has requested we do so, as they threaten the peace of the town."_

Tarkus had thick, metal armor. His helmet covered all of his head, except for two small eye sockets and holes to breathe. He held a great shield, and a straight sword. 

He nodded, his metal clanging every movement he made. 

_"Black Knight Corpus, you will head to Hyrule Ridge land where the base of a large bandit criminal ring has been located, who frequently raid the nearby villages."_

Corpus wore slim, blackish brown armor. His helmet had two horns pertruding upwards, and held a long halberd and black shield. He had a long but worn cape. Corpus was from a mysterious background, who's only known past was that he had a different style of spear style, opting to swing his halberd like a sword, making use of the very long range, and he was self taught, which explained his very strange but effective combat style. 

Corpus simply nodded, not making a single sound. 

_"Emilia the Frost, you will head to Gerudo Town to deliver supplies to Urbosa, who has requested materials to rebuild Gerudo Town. You will also exterminate the electro Lizalfos and electro Molduga who live there."_

Emilia wore armor that was very resistant to fire damage. She is known to be able to use both sword and bow effectively, to Frost weapons, from Frost swords, to Frost arrows, and even had a shield that would inflict minor Frost damage if it was hit. She was also very resistant to cold, not needing cold resistant gear to survive in the Snowfield Stable where she grew up. 

_"Hinox Slayer Ornstein, head to the faron region where many electric enemies have been spotted. "_

Ornstein was probably one of the most notorious Captains, with most assuming he was the strongest of them all. He wore golden armor, with very pointy spalders. His leggings were very protective, but enough to keep him agile. He had a long, red plume on his helmet which traveled down to his back. He welded a lightning spear, in which he could manipulate to use any amount of lightning he wanted. His past is also quite shrouded in mystery, except that he and Smog used to be a fighting pair. 

_"Silver Knight Julia, please head to Lurelin Village where you will go to Eventide Island and exterminate the remnants of monsters living there."_

Julia wore very shiny silver armor. It resembled the basic soldiers armor, but instead was much more fancy and included many spirals and precise carvings. Her long braids were visible, as there was a hole in the back of her helmet which allowed it to show. She was the love interest of many knights and soldiers, all wanting to impress her but were all naught. She used a silver straight sword, sharp enough to cut a moblin in half. 

_"Smog the Executioner, head to Gerudo Highlands and destroy all remaining Yiga cultists."_

Smog was probably the scariest of them all, he used a giant greataxe to obliterate his opponents. His armor was golden and big, and his helmet did not show any of his face. He used to be the executioner of Hyrule Prison, Before he was asked to join the ranks of the Knights. Most opponents who saw his towering figure on the battlefield trembled with fear, even the monsters knew that Smog was a fucking beast. 

_"Aldrich of the East, please head to Hebra to assist General Joun in the exploration of Hebra."_

Aldrich came from a far east land, which was said to be ravaged by a giant, blue boar with a trident. He used a katana, and being one of the only in Hyrule who used such a strange weapon, he quickly rised to the ranks to become a Captain. 

_"Baldrick the Great, head to Lanaryu where you will be accompanied by Link, where you will destroy an electric Lynel."_

Baldrick probably had the most brute strength apart from Smog, and since he always showed his face, he was very popular amongst the people who looked up to him. Apart from his signature Claymore, Baldrick also used a warhammer, if his primary weapon was absent for maintenance. 

" _Knight Aryll has been chosen to be the lone companion of Link, who will follow him and Baldrick as they head to Faron."_

Arylls expression glowed. 

Baldrick smiled as he looked at Link, who was still looking at Zelda, listening to her speech. 

Aryll was chosen to be led by Link, as she was the last one left to be placed in a group. She was very joyful, happy that she could finally fight alongside her brother. As the groups began to meet up, Aryll approached Link. 

" _There you are!"_ Aryll said as she hugged her brother. Link smiled as they embraced. 

_"I can't wait, Link! I'm hyped for my first mission!"_ Aryll said as her eyes were glowing. 

_"Same here."_ Link said back as he thought. He had received Mipha's message and was ready to head there, but wondered why she wanted him to be alone. The messenger had arrived a day late due to the route being bombarded with travelers. 

Link and Aryll walked to Baldrick and his company, as the warrior smiled as he saw them. 

" _Welcome, welcome! What a coincidence that we're gonna travel together! And I see that your sister is accompanying us? No worries, there's always room for more fighters,"_ Baldrick said as Link replied. 

_"Yeah. Glad to see your in high spirits,"_ He said as Baldricks Knights were all talking amongst each other, looking nervous that Link would travel with them. 

" _You remind me of the Goron Champion. You fight similar, as well."_ Link said as he feintly smiled, reminiscing the times he had with Daruk. Him and Daruk had not gotten a real reunion, but Link really wanted to meet his old pal again. 

_"Daruk? Oh, I get that a lot. I actually met him once, We both meditated on top of a rock near death mountain. I'm surprised he does that daily for hours."_

_"He sure is another breed,"_ Aryll chipped in as Baldrick laughed, facing back towards his group before he began to speak. 

" _Alright guys! As you know, two special guests will be traveling with Us, Link and Aryll. So, for our mission we will be heading towards Lanaryu, specifically Tingel Island to kill an electric Lynel. They are no joke! We will stop at Zoras Domain where King Dorephan has agreed to offer us stay there. On our way, we will discuss the Electric Lynel and plan our attack. When we reach the start of the Road to the domain, we will meet up with Knight Tarkus who will be heading to Akkala reigon. We will stay at the domain for a day, before we set out to Tingel Island where we carry out our plan. Get your stuff ready, we will be leaving in 4 hours. "_ Baldrick explained as his men saluted before they grabbed their belongings. 

Link and Aryll already had their stuff, consisting of sleeping bags, water canisters, a few supplies and 30 rupees. 

As Link looked around, he saw a few Knights to the corner of his eye, to see a few men from Baldrick's company asking him for an autograph. He complied, he also saw Maddison who was in full Guards gear, smiling and waving at him. He smiled back. 

" _Ooh, so you're popular,_ Link?"Aryll said as Link turned around. 

_"I guess it can't be avoidable."_ Link said as more knights came up to him. 

Before Link could sign more autographs, he heard yelling, and looked to see two Knights arguing with each other. The two belonged to Knight Ornstein, who's company was mostly made up of nobles and richer knights. Ornstein's group were probably the worst of the bunch, as they had little respect and all tried to seek attention. He envyed Knights like Tarkus or Julia, who both had very obedient and respectful Knights. The two knights continued to yell, aware that everyone was watching them, which seemed to make them even louder. As they continued, they both felt a tight grip on their shoulders, squeezing until they hurt. They both looked up, to see a towering Ornstein who although you could not see his face, you could tell that under the armor was a man filled with anger. The two immediately stopped yelling as their eyes were filled with fear. 

" _Keep disrespecting yourselves under my name and you will be left behind. And that goes for everyone under my name. How dare you have no regard for formal manners although you are all pampered nobles. Any more and I will find a new bunch to follow me. I apologise princess, for the foolishness my men have made today, "_ Ornstein sternly said as he turned around, his long plume blowing in the air as he raised his hand, signaling for his men to follow as he marched out of the Sanctum. 

_"Oh no, its alright.."_ Zelda said but the Knight was already out of sight, as his men all looked at each other before tailing behind. 

" _Aryll, I need to go back to my room. I forgot a few things."_ Link told his sister as he hurried to his room. 

_"Oh okay.. I'll be waiting here."_ Aryll said, a bit confused, before she turned back to Baldrick's group as they continued conversing. A few knights and Captains left the sanctum, going to various places to fetch a few things or do something before they would leave. There was quite some time before they left, so it wouldnt be worrying. 

Link reached his room, as he grabbed a few items, before leaving, heading back to the sanctum where his group were. He thought about Ornstein, and how tough his group had to be. 

As 4 hours passed, everyone had returned back to the sanctum. Zelda gave some final words, before it was finally time for the groups to leave. 

Corpus was a very silent man. He never made a noise on the battlefield, only letting his halberd do the speaking. This only added to his already very ominous aura. He signaled his group as they began to walk in single file, his worn Cape flying as he strode out.

All the groups would head through castle town, before they would finally disperse into their own, respective groups. 

Tarkus watched the leaving Corpus, before signaling his men to leave too. Tarkus never had his sword on his back as his shield would be too big to allow him space. The armored Knight left as his men marched in a straight line, a clear showing of their loyalty towards their leader. 

Ornstein looked back at his group, whom he had given a stern yelling too when they first left the sanctum. His men all looked afraid, and were not the attention seeking loudmouths they were 4 hours ago. They followed him as he marched out, following behind the Iron Knight Tarkus. 

Soon, Julia followed, then the towering Smog, then Aldrich, then Emilia with her Frost equipment, and lastly the Big Baldrick. The people of Castle Town cheered as the single file of Knights passed them. A few had shouted at Julia, asking her to marry them and some at Baldrick, who was a fan favorite. The presence of Link fueled the fire as the crowds cheered even more, chanting his name as he looked down, flustered. Baldrick looked back and laughed at Link's reaction. Small children looked and pointed up towards Smog, who turned his head towards them, scaring them. Who knew if Smog was smiling or not. Zoro watched the many knights from the audience, amazed that he was looking at the same knights he heard about in stories. 

Zoro looked at the many passing heroes, either waving to the crowd or not paying attention at all. As the knights finally left the town, they could still hear cheers from beyond the wall. Soon, groups left into their own ways, heading towards the destination they were assigned to. 

" _This trip should take an estimated 3 or 4 days. Let's go!"_ Baldrick said as his men and Aryll yelled. 

A few hours had passed, and Zelda sat atop the throne, signing many papers she had been given. Soon, Impa quickly entered the room, kneeling as she gave her message. 

" _Princess, Guards have reported that a thief who stole the Thunder Helmet was apprehended by the Hero of Time. She is currently locked up in Castle Town Prison and is requesting an audience with you."_ The shiekah said to the Princess as she had a look of confusion. 

_"Oh, then sure. Tell them that I will be there within 10 to 20 minutes."_ She said as Impa nodded, before leaving. Zelda sighed as she finished up some paperwork before leaving to the prison, escorted by 5 Royal guards, including Maddison. Rose was in Julia's group, the one she had hoped to get into. 

People kneeled as the Princess passed them, as the nobles in Castle Town all greeted her as she passed. She finally reached Castle Prison, where she was led to the aforementioned cell. 

As Zelda approached the cell, she saw a small figure sat down behind the bars. As she got closer, she realised who it was. 

" _Riju?"_ Zelda asked. 

_"Princess.."_ Riju said in a tired tone

 _"Riju! What happened? Did you steal the helmet?"_ Zelda said concerningly as she gripped her hands onto the cell bar. 

_"I had no choice.. Gerudo Town.. You must help.."_ Riju said as her legs rested on the cold stone floor. 

_"Why? What has happened?"_ Zelda asked. 

_"Lady Urbosa.. She has gone mad.. Vah Naboris is currently rampaging in the desert. We have already tried to enter the beast but it is too difficult. It can sense our presence and create thunder strikes.."_ Riju said as Zelda had a worried expression. The thought of someone she looked up to losing their mind, Zelda could not bear it. 

_"Why? What about Urbosa?"_ Zelda asked, wanting to know more. 

_"She was fine a few days ago.. Until a figure in a hooded cloak came, saying they were a ''Fortune Teller'', but no one knows what she had told Urbosa when they met, and whatever she did say, must have put Urbosa into a spiral of insanity. I'm afraid that if we don't stop her soon, she will end up losing all of her humanity and turn insane. "_ Riju told Zelda as her expression became much more worried. 

_"Oh my god.. But why did you come here to take the helmet?"_ She asked, to which Riju sighed. After the death of Ganondorf, the Thunder Helm was given to Zelda as safekeeping by Urbosa until Gerudo Town was fully rebuilt. She had told her guards to guard it extra carefully, meaning that not even Riju could get it just by asking. 

_"Because without it we cannot get near Vah Naboris. I am planning to use my ancestors power to create a giant protective sphere that will shield us from Naboris's attacks, and take many Gerudo Fighters with me to take down Urbosa.. But Princess.. I really need your help. "_ Riju explained as Zelda closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before exhaling and coming up with a plan. 

_"Okay, Riju. Impa! Send a message to Joun to return to Hyrule Castle! Also, assemble all the champions. A rogue divine beast has threatened the land of Hyrule. Tell them to meet me at Gerudo Town Stable. We cannot locate the Hero Of Time so I'm afraid that he must be left out of this mission, "_ Zelda told Impa as she hurriedly ran towards Hyrule Castle, as she gathered many shiekah messengers. 

The lock to Riju's cell was unlocked, and a guard returned the Thunder Helm to her. They all ran out towards the stables as horses were being gathered for the party. Soon, Zelda, Riju, and five Royal Guards mounted their horses, and set out into Hyrule Field, heading towards Gerudo Canyon. If they were too slow, Naboris could end up destroying all civilisation in the Gerudo Desert, and farther.

 _"Don't worry Urbosa.. We're coming to save you.."_ Zelda thought as she rode as fast as possible. 

**Hyrule Castle Research and Ancient Technology Lab**

" _Yes.. That fits there and that goes there.. Then that means... It is finally done!"_ Robbie said as Purah looked over. 

_"What's the big noise, Robbie? Some of us are trying to focus here!"_ She said annoyed but Robbie was too focused on his creation. 

_"Gather round... And Huzzah!"_ Many of the shiekah and hylian researchers gathered, wondering what Robbie had in store. In one quick motion, he removed the blanket covering his creation. 

_"EURREEKAAA!!! Behold, the pinnacle of ancient shiekah technology, something even the monks considered incredible.. Well, it does need some fine tuning and adjustments.. But using these very old shiekah blueprints.. I'm sure it will work!"_ He said as the many researchers gasped and murmured, both baffled and curious about his new invention. 

_"So.. Are you giving it a name or something?"_ Purah asked. 

_"Ah yes. I forgot. I shall call it.. THE MASTER CYCLE ZERO!!"_ He yelled as he did a pose, To which Purah wasn't suprised. 

_"Master Cycle.. Zero? Whatever. Anywho, do you think he will fit it?"_ She asked as she tapped her finger on her chin. 

_"Of course! I configured its size while basing it on his exact measurements. It's perfect!"_ Robbie said as he showed Purah the papers containing the size, weight, and height of what he based his build on. 

_"It took you 3 years to build, Robbie. Let's just hope it will be of use to him."_ Purah said as the others agreed. Some asking questions to which Robbie delightly replied to. 

Meanwhile, Purah was working on her own project with some fellow researchers. She was examining the shiekah slate, which until recently had been acting fine. Four areas had been marked, which also contained a specific item for that location. 

_For the Hebra, an ember of twilight,_ which Purah had deduced to be a blue flame. 

_For Eventide Island, a Korok leaf._ They were common around forests, so there wasn't much difficulty there. 

_For the Temple Of Time, a mystical, tiny flying creature_ , which took some time, but Purah discovered it to be a fairy. 

_For the Forgotten Temple, a feather,_ which was also very easy. 

However, the last one Purah could not figure out. She spent days trying to figure out what it meant, but came up with no solid items that matched the description. 

_For underneath Hyrule Castle, a mirror of magic._ For what Purah knew, there were no mirrors in Hyrule that were magical. Though there were tales of such a mirror being used to travel to an alternate version of Hyrule, most thought as it as untrue and there were no records of such a mirror existing. 

This information was already passed to Zelda, who had no ideas of the final clue too. Purah was excited, as this mystery was only getting deeper. 

" _Let us set camp here, we will rest until dawn and leave."_ Baldrick said as his men nodded, removing their bags. It had been 7 hours since they started walking non-stop, and most people's feet began to hurt. Except Link. It would take about 3 more hours to reach the rendezvous point with Tarkus, however it would take much longer if the group continued, exhausted. One Knight grabbed a few pieces of firewood and chucked them in a pile, before a few more pieces were added. Another then aimed a fire arrow at the wood, exploding with flames as it struck the wood, making a very effective bonfire. 

" _Good stuff, everyone. That fire should last a couple hours. Akram, you are in charge of keeping the fire lit. Make sure to toss in a couple pieces of wood every few hours so it doesnt go out. Since it is only an hour left before the sun sets, you guys can rest or explore around if you want to."_

The knights sat down as some had sore legs from walking hours with heavy armor. Some went to chop down trees for logs to sit on. 

_"Link, I'm going to go check out the river. You don't need to worry about me,"_ Aryll told Link. 

_"Okay, just don't do anything dangerous. I'll unpack our stuff. "_ He said as Aryll nodded before heading down to the riverbank. Link headed towards their bags before removing the various ropes that held together the supplies. 

Aryll found many plants around the river, including various mushrooms and flowers. She also saw Hyrule Bass and a couple Hearty Bass in the river, however something caught her eye. It looked like a plant growing on the surface on the water. Aryll was confused, before the plant suddenly rose up, firing a rock at Aryll, who dodged in the nick of time. 

" _An octorok?"_ Aryll thought as she dodged another rock hurled at her. She could not do anything, as the octorok was in the middle of the river, somewhere Aryll could not reach with just her sword and shield. She rolled and strafed, while simultaneously coming up with a plan. 

_"Take this!"_ Aryll yelled as she picked up a rock and threw it towards the monster, however she missed. It was too hard to hit it with only rocks. Link heard the commotion and sprung down to where Aryll was, as he saw the octorok attacking his sister. 

" _Move Aryll!"_ Link yelled as he brandished his weapon. 

_"Link!"_ Aryll said in relief, however did not see the incoming rock. It struck Aryll, sending her to the floor. 

Link quickly jumped at the edge of the bank, before diving into the river. He swam under the octorok, who did not see him yet. As the octorok prepared to fire at Aryll again, Link thrusted his weapon underwater, hitting the octorok from underneath and coming out at the top. The octorok screamed before going limp. 

Link resurfaced, as he swam back to the bank, still with the dead octorok stuck on his sword. 

_"Are you okay, Aryll?"_ Link said as he rushed to his sisters side. 

_"Don't worry brother.. It was just an octorok."_ She said, grimacing as she looked at the dead octorok and a scratch in her knee. Link used his foot to push the dead body off his sword, before submerging it in water to remove the blood stain. The two headed back towards the camp, both laughing. 

As the sun began to set, the camp was finished. The tents were setup, and three logs were rolled on their side near the bonfire, allowing for seating near the flame. Most of the Knights, including Baldrick, were starting to cook their dinner, and a couple had already ate and were preparing to go to bed. The food was mainly basic skewers that contained meat and fish. There were some Hyrule Herbs added, and lots of water to drink. Link ate a seared steak, cooking it to perfection, as the meaty juice exploded in his mouth everytime he took a bite. As dusk finally came, most went to bed. Link told Baldrick to get rest, as he would be the lookout. Baldrick hesitantly agreed before he went to bed. As everyone slept, Link sat near the bonfire, alone as he gazed upon the flame. 

" _Why don't I feel tired?"_ Link asked himself. This was mainly because of his extreme amount of stamina, however another factor was keeping him awake. 

_"Mipha.. Why did she want me to come alone?"_ Link could not fathom out the reason why Mipha would want him to come alone. Perhaps he was over thinking it, and it wasn't anything worth worrying about. Suddenly, a Lizalfos jumped out of the dark in the corner of Link's eye, who took out his sword and blocked the Lizalfos before it could hit him. 

" _Shit.. How could I let them get this close.. I was too stuck in my thoughts."_ Link said before he grabbed the Lizalfos and stabbed it, killing it. He looked forward to see 3 more Lizalfos, whom's shadows he could barely see as they eyed him, lurking in the dark. They all jumped out at him, however Link managed to dodge and block them and strike them back, ending them in only a couple blows. He did this as silently a possible, making sure that none of his comrades would be woken. As he pulled his royal sword out of the last Lizalfos's head, he sighed as he piled up the bodies. 

As everyone awoke, they were shocked to see a pile of dead Lizalfos, all stacked near the bonfire. 

" _Link.. Did you do this?"_ Baldrick said as he examinded the corpses. 

_"They attacked. So I did what my job was."_ He replied as Baldrick moved various parts of the bodies. 

_"Wow, amazing Link! You even did this without waking us up!"_ Aryll said. 

" _Uh, yeah."_ Link replied as Aryll hugged him,as he smiled a bit. 

_"Take the important parts of those monsters. Let's pack up and continue. I only hope that we have not kept Tarkus waiting. He is a heavy fellow, though."_ Baldrick said as his men nodded as 2 went to the dead lizards and the other four packing the supplies. 

Aryll packed their supplies, as the company finally was ready to continue their journey, now revitalised. They headed forward at a comfortable pace, ready to meet up with the Iron Knight. 

Zelda and her company were exhausted. Their horses could not ride at a fast enough pace and they were nearly at the Diggdog Suspension Bridge, which was now more of a merchant route. Zelda made the decision to rest for a few hours, as her group sighed with relief. They fed their horses and sat down in the shade. Zelda wondered how the Knight that was assigned to Gerudo Town was doing, though she tried but could not get a messenger to reach Emilia. 

**Route to Gerudo Town**

Emilia and her company trudged through the thick sands of Gerudo Desert. Though they had stocked up on chilly elixirs, they could still feel the immense heat. 

" _Everyone, do not worry. We are nearly at Kara Kara Bazaar. Dont collapse now, I'm sure there will be many refreshments there."_ Emilia reassured her Knights as they groaned. There was a big sandstorm that had covered the majority of the desert, meaning that Emilia's group could not see far. However, the outline of the Bazaar finally appeared, sending sighs of relief throughout the Knights. As they reached the Bazaar, something was up. There was no one there. It was deserted. The knights checked every building and market, and saw nothing. Some even took some items, which had been left there. 

The group decided to stay inside the Inn building, where they would be sheltered and have a place to rest. 

" _I wonder where everybody could be. As far as I'm know, this bazaar is quite important for the merchant route for the Gerudo. It also serves as a temporary stop for the desert. Is it because of the dense sandstorm? I'm sure the Gerudo are used to it."_ Emilia said as the group conversed about theories on why no one was present at the Bazaar. Suddenly, the group heard a noise outside and rushed to investigate. Outside, they saw a lone Gerudo Soldier who had stuck her spear into the ground, using it as support as she kneeled on the ground, panting. She was bleeding a lot, and noticed the group. 

_"No.. You must escape.."_ The woman said as she Emilia came to her side. 

_"Miss! Are you alright? What happened? Why is this place abandoned?"_ Emilia asked. 

_"Because..its-UGH"_ The woman could not finish her sentence before collapsing. 

_"Miss! Stay with me!"_ Emilia shouted as she held the woman in her arms, worried she might die. 

_"My name.. Is Barta.. Ugh."_ The woman groaned. 

_"Someone get her some medicine! Also grab the bandages!"_ Emilia shouted. Her men nodded.

Barta woke to the group, as she was covered in bandages and was on one of the beds in the Inn. She leaned up, though she was in pain. 

_"Barta.. My name is Emilia, one of the eight Captains of the Hyrulean Knights. Please tell me what has happened."_ Emilia said as the woman was shocked.

 _"Knight Captain? I'm guessing you have come to aid us, then. Listen, Naboris has gone mad, our chief has taken control of the beast and is ravaging the desert, I don't know if your princess knows this, but you should not face the beast yet. Not until she or the champions arrive. Because no one else is capable of taking down a divine beast, not even the Knight Captains. "_ She said. This comment hurt Emilia and her knights a bit, but she knew she was right in a sense. 

_"I understand, but I have a mission to complete. Once you can walk, we will head to Gerudo Town as fast as possible. It seems this sand has blocked Naboris from finding the town. "_ She said as she looked at the sand which was still covering the desert. 

_"You are correct. But not for long. I doubt a giant town can hide from a beast who contains some of the most dangerous power in Hyrule."_ Barta replied. In a few hours, Barta was able to walk again due to the medicine which healed her wounds. As the group exited the Inn, they made a run for it, heading straight to Gerudo Town as quick as possible. However, before they could make it far, a loud, mechanical cry was heard. Giant footsteps became louder, and as the group looked up, they all had looks of terror. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy. I did get some inspiration for Ornstein, Smog and Tarkus. Nevertheless, I will try to post chapters faster, so expect the next chapter within this week :))


	14. Saving Urbosa

" _We'll be off now. We should make it to Gerudo Canyon just before noon if we make haste."_ Zelda told her men as they readied their horses. As the 7 passed the suspension bridge, a giant, blue hand suddenly appeared on the bridge, then another. Zelda feared all too well what it was.

A Hinox. As the Hinox lifted itself up onto the middle of the bridge, Guards fired arrow after arrow. As one struck the eye of the beast, it stunned the Hinox and it fell back down on its butt, as Zelda fired a beam at the Hinox, aggroing it even more. With speed it climbed and eventually reached the large circle platform in the middle of the bridge. It lifted its arms up and slammed then down, trying to attack the Royal Guards and Riju, who prepared to strike back. 

Riju unsheathed her Gerudo Dagger and charged under the Hinox. She then dug her dagger into the lower back of the Hinox, using it as support, just missing the Hinox butt slam. Another fired into its eye, as the Hinox held its hand, covered his eye, blocking it. Riju used her lone dagger to climb up the Hinox, as Zelda distracted the Hinox so it wouldn't notice. She fired more light magic, but they didn't hit the eye, instead various other parts. As Riju reached the top, she held her dagger with two hands and repeatedly stabbed the Hinox in the eye, stunning it as it screamed in pain. It threw Riju off backwards, off the bridge before Zelda fired one last beam, ending it. 

" _RIJU!"_ Zelda screamed as Riju fell, just a few more meters and she would be splat on the ground. Suddenly a bird flew in, and at incredible speed, it grabbed Riju and flew back towards the bridge and dropped her. 

_"Revali!"_ Zelda sighed as the Rito landed, with a proud expression. 

_"Princess. I have gotten your message. And it seems you have been in a bit of trouble on your journey here. That'll change now I'm here, so rest easy princess."_ He said as he looked forward toward the canyon. 

_"Revali.. Thank you.."_ Zelda said as they prepared to continue, now with Revali soaring overhead.

As the group continued, they were nearly at the stable. 

Mipha jumped up and down through the river. She swam at an incredible speed, almost faster than a flying Rito. As she reached the end of one river, she exited with a somersault and ran very fast, thanks to her light but strong body. She used the many rivers in Hyrule to traverse the lands, as this would be the fastest way for a Zora to get places. As she reached the suspension bridge, she borrowed a horse to get through the dry canyon. Mipha was not good with horses but had been taught by Link one time they were hanging out near the domain. 

" _Uh, Daruk? Are you sure this will work?"_ Yunobo asked Daruk as they both stood near a contraption of sorts on Death Mountain. 

_"Of course, Yunobo. I've tried it before. Once."_ He said with a confident grin. 

_"Oh, okay then. Could you explain what this is?"_ Yunobo asked as he examined the contraption, it seemed to have shiekah powered technology as there were many parts indicating it was Shiekah made. 

_"The strongest catapult in all of Hyrule. Its not a normal catapult, it was a gift from one of those researchers after I saved their asses from a fire Lynel while they were in Eldin."_ Daruk said as they both laughed. 

_"What's this part then?"_ Yunobo asked as they returned to the conversation. Even Daruk wasn't sure. 

_"To be real with you, I've no clue. Let's try it anyway."_ Yunubo nodded as Daruk grabbed his paraglider. Only the 5 champions were gifted paragliders, which were all specially made to fit each of their sizes. 

_"Ready, Yunobo?"_ Daruk asked as he got into the catapult. 

_"Ready whenever you are!"_ Yunobo replied, as he placed his hands onto the lever. 

_"Then launch it!"_ Daruk yelled as Yunobo pushed down on the lever. Daruk was sent flying, heading straight towards the Gerudo region. Yunobo was sent back, dazed due to the large amount of recoil. 

_"WOO!! SEEYA YUNOBOOOOO,"_ Daruk yelled as his voice slowly became quieter. Yunobo grinned as he watch the flying Goron get smaller, and smaller, until he was just a tiny dot. Daruk flew across Hyrule and at incredible speed, as he curled up in a ball to even his weight. 

Zelda and her team arrived at the Canyon Stable, where they were immediately given a rundown on the situation in the desert by a Scout. Some Gerudo Soldiers that had visible wounds rested at the stable, and most refused to explain what had happened. 

" _So, Urbosa has lost her mind, eh? This may be troubling."_ Revali said as he looked at the very dense sand covering the desert. 

_"Indeed. We can only hope that we have the strength to subdue her and save her from her corruption."_ Zelda replied and Riju nodded. A horses gallop could be heard as the team all turned back to look in unison. 

_"Mipha!"_ Zelda said as the Zora dismounted her horse and approached them. 

_"Hello Princess."_ Mipha said as she nodded at Revali and the others. They briefly met, as Mipha explained how she traveled to the stable. 

_"Now all that's left are Daruk and Link.. I hope they have gotten the message."_ Zelda said as Revali scoffed at the last bit. Mipha looked a bit sad, knowing she had to postpone her meeting with Link. Suddenly, a quiet yell could be heard, slowing getting louder as Daruk crashed into a wall near the stable, holding his head and tumbling as he was dazed. A few travelers jumped with surprise, frozen while they saw the Goron.

 _"Ugh... Arghh.. Oh, hey Princess! I apologise for making such a mess."_ Daruk said as he finally regained his composure. 

_"Daruk! It is fine.. The only thing that matters is that you're here. Let's begin our plan and gather up forces to reach Urbosa."_ The champions nodded and they all began preparations. A shiekah had arrived at the stable, telling them that the messenger that was going to reach Link had a mishap, and had arrived many hours later. Meaning that Link would potentially miss out on the operation. Mipha's expression saddened as she looked down. Revali folded his arms and looked the other way, he was somewhat dissapounted Link would not be coming. Dark sighed, yet again he could not meet Link properly. 

" _Tarkus."_

_"Baldrick."_

_"I see your men are doing well."_ Baldrick said as he looked at the heavy armored men who still stood straight. All following Tarkus's orders. 

_"They are. I could say the same to you, and you also have the Hero with you too."_ Tarkus replied as he looked at Link, who waved. Tarkus had a deep voice that was muffled under his thick armor. He almost seemed like a robot. 

_"Let's do a roll call, everyone."_ Baldrick said as he called out the names of everyone. He had finished and all were present so they decided to take a little break before continuing. As Link and Baldrick looked at the winding road ahead of them, he heard metal clanking as Tarkus approached them. 

_"The road to the domain is filled with Lizard pests and Octoroks. Don't underestimate them."_ Tarkus told the two as they turned their heads backwards, but Baldrick smiled. 

_"Of course. I never do."_ Baldrick said as Tarkus did not show expression. 

_"And Link.. I am told that you are supposed to go to Canyon Stable to meet the Princess. Apparently the Gerudo Chief has lost her mind and is using the Divine Beast to her own will."_ He told Link who was confused as he turned to him. 

_"What? Why didn't I get the message?"_ Link asked, why did Tarkus receive the message instead of him? 

_"The messenger thought you were with me. But its fine though, as we meet anyway and I get to relay his message."_ Tarkus replied as Link agreed. 

_"I won't be able to get to Canyon Stable by the time they start the operation at this rate."_ Link said as he thought to himself. 

_"Do not worry. The champions are there and the Princess, so I doubt they will encounter any problems. But on the other hand.. It seems that we have one ourselves.."_ Tarkus said as he stood still. 

_"What?"_ Baldrick said as Link sensed something sinister. He held his sword up high, as he felt something land on the sword. The trio looked at the sword to see a Lizalfos who had jumped from above but was pierced by the sword. Using one hand, Tarkus grunted as he lifted his enormous tower shield in a swinging motion, as he caught two Lizalfos with his shield before slamming it into the ground, crushing the lizards. 

_"Enemy raid!"_ A Knight shouted as the men all grabbed their weapons. They were surrounded by many Lizalfos, ranging from green to silver. Link swung and killed two more monsters before seeing two Knights struggling to fend off a silver Lizalfos. He quickly rushed to them and aided them. Baldrick swung his knight's claymore as he crushed many Lizalfos who tried to touch him. A black Lizalfos charged towards him as he held his claymore up, blocking the monster and thrusting his claymore downwards, instantly killing it. Baldrick tried to pull his sword out, but could not. Soon, he was assaulted by 4 Lizalfos, as he fought them off and rolled backwards, before using his fists to fight them. He yelled as his brutish strength, that was stronger than even the heavy Tarkus, impacted the Lizalfos as they were sent flying back. He saw a silver Lizalfos and had no choice but to roll behind his claymore still stuck in the ground, as the Lizalfos striked the sword with a tri boomerang, breaking it.

Baldrick, now furious, ran to the lizalfos and grabbed it, before repeatedly pummelling it with his fists. He broke the armor that the lizard was wearing, as the lizard could not fight back the hulking man. He disarmed the lizard and with his strength, used the lizalfos's own weapon against it, stabbing it and killing it. As the lizard slumped to the ground, Baldrick looked at his claymore, which was now broken in half due to the lizalfos. He had no choice but to get back to his bags, but in doing so would abandon his position and let Lizalfos enter deeper into the camp. Suddenly 7 Lizalfos approached from Baldricks side, all holding steel Lizal boomerangs and spears. Baldrick stepped back as he gritted his teeth, knowing that this would be extremely dangerous. On a nearby hill, Tarkus swung his straight sword and killed his respective Lizalfos. It was only called a straight sword because Tarkus could use it efficiently with one hand. It was more of a greatsword, only with thinner blades and lesser weight. He looked down to see Baldrick ready to engage the 7 lizards with no weapon. Tarkus leaped downwards and slammed his shield into 2 of the lizards, killing one and severely injuring another. 

Baldrick looked at Tarkus, who nodded, as Baldrick smirked and headed back to his bags, where he still had his backup weapon. 

The lizards all jumped at Tarkus, who with one swing, caught all of them with his sword as they all were sent back. 3 already recovered and launched themselves back at Tarkus, who blocked with his shield. The lizalfos were a bit shocked as they looked up at the towering shield, not able to see Tarkus behind it. Suddenly, they felt a sword stab through all 3 of them, as Tarkus thrusted his sword forward, before ending them by slamming his shield yet again. He heard a blue lizalfos from behind, but could not move fast enough to counter it. The lizalfos struck Tarkus with its spear, expecting the Knight to stagger or show some sort of vulnerability. But he didn't. Tarkus's armor was so strong and durable that most attacks from lesser enemies did not cause him to stagger. Tarkus swung his sword backwards, killing the lizalfos who did not react as they were still surprised. Tarkus looked at the 2 remaining lizalfos, two black ones. They both shot their tongue at Tarkus, who blocked with his shield. They also sent spit balls at Tarkus, who was only slightly damaged by them. The Knight them charged towards the two, raising his sword as he got closer. The lizalfos were too indimidated to dodge, and as he got close, Tarkus slammed his sword into the ground, hitting and killing both Lizalfos in one hit. The other Lizalfos who had seen him backed away, one of the rare times a monster was ever afraid of a Hylian. Some Knights took the opportunity to backstab the distracted Lizalfos, as they struggled before finally being executed. Tarkus walked towards any lizalfos he could see, smashing and swinging his sword at them. 

The area where Baldricks bags were had been swarmed by enemies. However, Aryll and some knights had successfully given Baldrick an opening. He quickly examined the pile of supplies and saw his weapon. 

Aryll's side was starting to falter, the amount of Lizalfos was increasing even though they tried their best to slay as many as possible. Soon, Aryll was pinned down by one, trembling at it as it raised its weapon, ready to kill her. Baldrick shouted as he swung his weapon at the lizard, sending it meters backwards. Baldrick held his warhammer in two hands, smiling at Aryll as she got up. She bowed as they both returned back to battle. Baldrick swung his giant hammer into the groups of Lizalfos. Even for him, this weapon was heavy. He had to use most of his body each swing, so at the end of each swing he needed a few seconds to regain his balance. Despite this, he was still crushing 2 or more Lizalfos each swing, as he singlehandedly helped Aryll regain the advantage as they moved forward. Link only had 2 knights with him at his area, but he had already massacred most of the invaders from his side, even the ones who tried to escape. He looked back at the others, who seemed to be doing fine. He decided to walk back, and the lizalfos who were running from Tarkus neared Link, who ran backwards as soon as they saw the piles of dead Lizalfos behind him. Quickly losing numbers and ground, the Lizalfos began to retreat, as their numbers started to dwindle. And soon, the had all fled, but some were caught and killed.

In the aftermath, there were no ally deaths, however some were severely injured, as they were immediately being tended to. Link looked around as he saw Baldrick, who had lost some plating on his right spalder and Tarkus, who had some scratches on the back of the armor, where most lizalfos tried to attack. Aryll sighed with relief as she sat down, drinking a bottle of water and eating some snacks. The what seemed to be army of Lizalfos had appeared out of nowhere, but Link was guessing they resided somewhere in the road to the domain. Tarkus and Baldrick knew too, as some were discouraged to continue the path. 

" _The fact that all of you survived is more than enough to say that you are all worthy of being knights. In case there will be another attack, we will only leave until we are all fully rested."_ Tarkus told everyone as he lay down his weapons, as Baldrick nodded.

 _"Yes sir!"_ The knights replied as a shiekah messenger arrived on a horse, asking for Link. 

" _The research lab?"_ Link asked as he was confused. 

" _Yes, Mister Robbie has requested for your audience. He says that he has invented something that will definitely help you on your travels."_ The shiekah replied, as he dismounted and offered Link the horse so he could reach Hyrule Castle faster. 

_"Invention, huh.."_ Link thought. Robbie always had very strange but interesting creations, so Link was somewhat excited for what he had made. Link looked back at Baldrick, who smiled. 

_"Don't worry, we will be fine without your support. Your sister will be taken care of too. Excuse me messenger, but could you please inform King Dorephan and Prince Sidon that we are near?"_ Baldrick asked as the shiekah nodded and headed to the domain. Link shook hands with Tarkus and Baldrick before he began to head off. 

_"It was nice fighting with you, Baldrick."_ Tarkus said as he and his men prepared to head to Akkala. 

_"You too, Knight captain."_ Baldrick said as they both smiled. As Link mounted his horse, he saw Aryll with a worried look. 

_"Don't worry Aryll, I will be back as soon as possible."_ Link told his sister as they briefly hugged, before Link whipped the horse, leaving his sister to continue her mission as he headed back to the castle. 

Aryll feintly smiled, before heading back to Baldrick. Using the horse. Link could reach the castle in about half a day. The Gerudo mission was still going steady, as preparations still continued. 

" _Sir, we have located the Yiga hideout!"_ A Knight reported as he ran back to the small camp in the Gerudo Highland mountains. 

_"How many still remain?"_ Another asked, as he sat near the bonfire. 

_"I was not able to get a better look, but I can confirm there are 6 blade masters and more than 10 footsoldiers. They also seem to have a few gerudo captives. There is also one mage, who seems to be leading them."_ The scout said as the knights raised their heads. 

_"Mage? You mean Astor?"_ One said, as they looked at each other. Their captain, Smog, sat as well but did not move an inch. He was listening, however. And he was intrigued. 

_"The mage who worked with the Yiga.. However he betrayed them once Ganondorf had been revived, for unknown reasons."_ A Knight said. 

_"He must have fleed to this base then, and those Yiga might be defectors that followed him."_ Another added, as they agreed. 

_"Whatever the case, we will need to kill or capture them."_ A Knight said. 

_"Right, let's come up with a pla-"_ A Knight was cutoff before he could finish his sentence. 

_"Do not kill the mage. Kill everyone else if you need to. Make sure the captives are rescued so they can explain what happened."_ Smog said, as the group all fell silent for a few seconds before one finally spoke. 

" _Affirmative, captain. But we still need an attack strategy."_

 _"What is the size of the base?"_ Smog asked. A very important note about Smog that he was very big and tall, as the top of his helmet reached around 8ft. No one knows if that his his actual height as well. 

_"It is a cave with a big central room which contains the captive women. It is circular and looks like an arena. There are other smaller rooms branching off, including the beds, armory and treasury. Astor is stationed in the central room, as well as the majority of the Yiga members."_ The scout replied, as Smog thought for a few seconds before coming up with a plan. 

_"I want four of you to enter, to distract the enemies. One of you stay at the entrance. Once you get their attention, signal the two outside to block off the entrance. Then leave the rest to me."_ Smog said as his knights were very confused. 

_"Uh, Yes sir.."_ One said. Why would Smog want to trap his own knights inside the hideout? Whatever the case, they had to comply, as Smog was known to have very strange plans. 

" _Sir, wouldn't that trap the 4 inside against the many enemies?"_ One asked as another elbowed him, as he was questioning his captain. 

_"Trust me. If you cannot trust your captain, then you should not be here."_ Smog replied as his knights had slightly scared expressions. 

_"Oh! Uh, sorry captain. We will all follow your plan accordingly."_ The Knight apolgized as he stood tall, as so did the others. 

_"Then, let's get started."_ Smog said as he finally stood up, and gripped his giant great axe which was about the size of a goron. The knights backed up as the scout led the group to the base. 

The knights got into position, as two were above the cave entrance, ready to block it off with rocks. Four cautiously entered, holding up torches and venturing inside as one stayed behind. As they neared the central room they could hear shouting and beating, as they his behind a few crates and slightly peeked to see what was happening. 

" _Tell me! Where is the magical MIRROR?! "_ Astor yelled at the gerudo captives, who were tied up and beaten badly. 

_"Never.."_ One said before coughing. 

_"Then you will all die painful deaths. Don't forget, I have the triforce of power, so I will find it eventually. It is vital to travel to the Golden Land, or as it is called now, the Dark World, to find the Dark King Ganon and take him back here! I have been tasked this personally by him after he was trapped there by King Sephiro, ruler of the east lands which he had destroyed! "_ Astor said. The ruler of the east continent had the power to send one to the dark world, but at the cost of their life. The only way one could come back to the normal world, would be if the magic mirror was used. 

_"Ganon is using you.. Once he returns, he will discard you and take the triforce for his own."_ One woman said before Astor kicked her in the chest as she grunted before slamming into the cold floor. He placed his foot on the woman's head, as she gritted her teeth. 

_"Stupid woman! If Ganon tries to take me down then I will simply destroy him using the triforce! His power won't harm me as long as I have the triforce."_ Astor laughed as the woman groaned before speaking more. 

_"Ugh.. The magic mirror has abilities you can never begin to comprehend. The man who defeated your so called King, the Hero of Legend, hid it so that no one would ever find it again."_ The woman said as she smiled, Astor pushed down on the woman's head slightly harder, as he was a bit irritated. 

" _I know that the Gerudo is aware of its location. That is why you are nothing but a bargaining tool we will use so Urbosa will have no choice but to give it over. "_ Astor said as he laughed, loosening his foot a bit. 

_"She knows that we would all give up our lives to protect the mirror. Try all you want, but it will be in vain."_ The women laughed back, as Astor was clearly frustrated.

 _"Then if you are no use to me.. Then you can die.. Actually, I want to make it worse. Men! They are yours. Use them all you want."_ Astor said before he lifted his foot off the woman and walked away, as the blademasters chuckled and the women with shocked looks. 

" _They are ruthless. Using the prisoners as sex toys?"_ One Knight said with a look of disgust. 

As the Yiga just begun to rape the women, groping them and forcing them down against their will, the knights had enough and decided to act now. 

_"Prepare to give the signal. On three, we will make as much noise as possible to distract them. Give the signal to block the entrance, then we will have no choice but to wait for whatever lies next._ _There is a chance we might die."_ A Knight said as one was ready to sprint back to the entrance. They all knew the danger, and what they got themselves into. 

_"Ready? One, two... NOW!"_ A Knight shouted as they all stood up, grabbing the attention of the Yiga. One Knight sprinted back, to alert the two outside to block it. They did, and rocks tumbled down, encasing them all within the cave as the light of the sun faded. All the knights could do now was hope. 

_"Hey! Yiga idiots, we are knights of Hyrule and you are surrounded! Give up now or we will use extensive force!"_ One said, trying to make a bluff to make the Yiga give up. The Yiga did not, brandishing their sickles, bows and windcleavers. Astor held up his staff, ready to attack. 

_"Fucks sake.. They found us.. Arghh..ATTACK!"_ Astor yelled as the Yiga charged towards them. There was no way the knights would survive against this many opponents. Then suddenly, a thump could be heard above the ceiling. Everyone stopped to look up at the commotion. It was like something was banging against it, as multiple thumps were heard. Realising what was happening, the knights smiled. 

" _Didn't we tell you that you're surrounded?"_ One said with a grin. The yiga looked up with confused movements, unable to anticipate the cause of the noise. 

_"Well, only by one person, but he counts as multiple."_ Another said as the thumping continued. Astor had a angry expression before he fired a magic beam at one Knight, injuring him as he fell. The other blademasters slowly began to corner the knights, gripping their windcleavers tightly. Then, a moment of utter silence which only lasted for a split second came, before rocks began to fall from the ceiling. 

The ceiling then collapsed, as Smog fell down with the rubble, landing in the middle of the central room and killing 3 footsoldiers as he landed. 

_"ARGHH, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"_ A yiga shouted as they all backed away, scared by the giant executioner. Many murmured and audibly gasped, as some screamed as well. 

_"That's.. no way... Executioner Smog?"_ Another said, recognising his giant axe and armor. The noise grew, with some Yiga even trying to escape. 

_"A Knight captain? Why is he here?"_ A blademaster asked as a Yiga shouted.

" _We're trapped! They blocked the exit off!"_ A yiga shouted as he ran to the entrance filled with rocks before a Knight quickly stabbed him while he wasn't paying attention. 

_"No.. We're doomed.."_ Another said. This was Smog's plan all along.. To trap the Yiga and kill them there. The knights smiled with relief, as everything apparently went according to plan. 

_"We have no choice! Kill the Knight captain!"_ Astor shouted as the Yiga war cried, charging to Smog as he giggled under his helmet, making some stop in fear before he smashed his axe down, cleanly decapitating one soldier. They looked in horror as Smog began his killing spree, cutting of the limbs and heads of those who tried to attack him. A blademaster hit the metal armor of Smog, only to be crushed by Smog's axe as he screamed. The Yiga could do nothing. No matter how much they tried, they could not stop Smog, who's axe tip was drenched in fresh blood. 

Yiga scrambled and screamed like civilians under a raid as their backs were crushed by Smog. The knights watched in horror as their captain ruthlessly swung his axe, killing everyone he saw. They were glad someone like Smog was on their side. Smog grabbed one Yiga in his hands before brutally throwing him to the wall, as his body exploded and his organs splattered everywhere. Some Yiga even tried to commit suicide, but were too slow as Smog was quicker as he painfully sliced them in half. Their brains gushing out. Astor and a handful of yiga watched as a Yiga crawled towards them, arm out as we was bleeding, before he was crushed by another Yiga who landed atop him after his bones were broken by Smog. The gerudo captives, who were on the side, had looks of shock and fear as they saw their kidnappers be disgustingly killed and squashed by Smog, who seemed unfazed. Smog turned his head to the side, and saw Astor. 

_"I have finally found you,"_ Smog said as his body turned to Astor. His gigantic body scared the Yiga who looked him directly in the eyes. 

_"Smog.. No..I remember that name.. Perhaps he has come for revenge?"_ Astor thought, as Smog began to walk towards them, each step making his heart beat faster. 

_"Master! Hurry, what shall we do?"_ A Yiga next to Astor asked, before the mage panicked and casted a spell, as he teleported out of the cave. 

" _No... Why.. You betrayed us.."_ The Yiga said with a sorrow tone before Smog smashed his axe down, splattering Yiga limbs everywhere. Smog had a sigh of frustration under his breath as his target had escaped. He finished up the Yiga, massacring the helpless soldiers who tried run and yell. As he finished up, the cave was painted red. Various internal organs, cut body parts and weapons laid around the room. One would vomit just at the sight of it. As the knights walked around in horror, they spotted the Prisoners, who were all terrified. 

" _What happened?"_ One Knight asked as he approached the tied women. 

_"We are Gerudo Soldiers. My name is Teake, and my comrades and I were injured by Vah Naboris. We had no choice but to flee to the Highlands, where we were captured by the Yiga."_ She replied, as the Knight scratched his head. 

_"I heard that the Gerudo Chief has lost her mind."_ Another Knight added as they nodded. 

_"She is still rampaging in the desert, but the champions should be arriving now or soon."_ Teake said, as the knights untied then and helped them up. 

_"So.. The magic mirror. What is it?"_ One Knight asked as Teake's expression turned stale. 

_"I'm afraid we cannot tell you that. It is a secret that only the Gerudo know."_ Teake replied sternly as they began to walk off. 

_"We just saved you from being raped and killed! At least give us some information, please?"_ One Knight asked but the women kept on walking. 

_"There is no reason for people like you to know."_ One women replied as she looked back with an angry look, surprising the knights. 

One Knight tried to argue, but was cut off by Smog. 

_"Leave them. We will take them back to Hyrule Prison where they will be properly investigated."_ Smog said as the Gerudo stopped in their tracks, with frozen looks, as the knights grabbed the ropes and headed towards them. 

The group finally headed out of the Highlands, into the warmer ridgeland region. The women were still struggling, despite being tied up and being carried through freezing weather. 

" _You will not get away with this!"_ Teake yelled as the knights ignored her. Suddenly, a man wearing a cloak ran their way, limping as his right leg was bleeding. He shouted as he saw the group. 

_"What's wrong?"_ One Knight asked as he saw the man. 

_"Please! Help me! We've been attacked by-"_ The man could not finish his sentence before his back was crushed by Smog, as he exploded with blood. The knights looked at their captain with shock, as he kept on walking. 

_"He was a bandit. It seems like Corpus is doing just fine."_ Smog said as the knights looked at each other and cautiously followed him. In the distance, a giant fire could be seen where the Redhood Bandits, the largest bandit group in Hyrule, were stationed. You could see bandits trying to flee with injuries, some dead on the floor, and could hear yells of agony. The group approached the center of the giant fire, which reached higher than Satori Mountain. As they continued, the bodies of bandits continued to increase. As they finally reached the flame's origin, they saw a dark, shadowy figure distorted by the flame. He walked out, as his halberd was covered in blood stains and dirt. 

Black Knight Corpus walked out of the flame, as he saw Smog and his group. 

" _What the.. Was this your doing Captain Corpus?"_ One Knight asked as Corpus ignored him as he passed. He then paused, and turned his head back towards the group. 

_"They did not stand a chance."_ He said before continuing. Smog stood still, surprised that Corpus had actually spoken on the battlefield. They continued past the flame, and saw his knights, who were all resting and healing their injuries.

" _Shouldn'_ _t you be following your captain? "_ Smog asked the knights who all turned to look at him. 

_"Uh, yes sir!"_ They all shouted before quickly heading in Corpus's direction. 

" _What destruction. I can't believe that Black Knight Corpus did this.. Imagine how much damage Ornstein could do.."_ A Knight said under his breath, as Smog heard but did not speak. 

As Ornstein and his nobled knights reached the top of the mountain, they saw the Electric monsters who all noticed them. They roared, as the knights looked in terror. The camp was full of Bokoblins, Lizalfos, Moblins, and Hinox all electrified. As the knights stepped back, Ornstein did not. A bokoblin charged, before being pierced by Ornstein's spear before he even noticed. 

Ornstein's men were all fine on the journey. It seemed his stern talk before they traveled had done wonders. Some still acted up, but most followed Ornsteins instructions, especially when he told them that they could die. 

Ornstein knew his way around most of Faron. He was actually one of the very few who grew up in the jungle reigon, born into the last remnants of the Zonai tribe. The Zonai used to be the rulers of Hyrule, barbarically conquering most of Hyrule. However the Kingdom Of Hyrule fought back, with the Hero Of Winds and his Princess leading ch arge after killing their Ganondorf. 

The electric monsters charged as the knights screamed and stood behind Ornstein, who sighed. He twirled his spear with one hand and dashed forward a few meters, killing all the monsters that stood in his way. A moblin came and swung his club downwards, as ornstein held his spear sideways, blocking the hit. Ornstein kicked the Moblin, who staggered before he took the opportunity to stab him. More monsters were coming, and even Ornstein could not keep up. 

" _Hurry.. Up!"_ Ornstein shouted as he blocked a strike, looking back at his knights who seemed afraid of him. 

_"Coming!"_ One said. It was the only brave Knight in Ornsteins group, who never seeked attention or harmed her comrades. The Knight charged, ramming into the horde of monsters Ornstein held back. With the weight lifted off, Ornstein charged his spear, as lightning began to crackle and shot it at the horde, as the lightning traveled through the monsters. Though these monsters were resistant to lightning, Ornstein had enough voltage that their bodies would be overcharged and stunned due to the sheer amount of lightning. As the monsters stood there, dazed, Ornstein and his Knight quickly cut down the horde, as the last batch came. Led by a hinox, the monsters all held medium to high tier weapons, roaring and growling as they walked closer. The rest of his knights still stood back, doing nothing to help Ornstein and his lone Knight. 

" _Focus on the monsters. I will kill that Hinox."_ Ornstein said as his Knight nodded, letting his captain go forward and distract the horde, allowing her to focus on taking down the monsters. Ornstein dashed through the horde, strafing and dodging the strikes aimed towards him. As he closed in on the hinox, it bashed its fist down, however Ornstein dodged and used the lowered arm to scale the Hinox, before leaping upwards and lunging his spear at the giant eye. As the Knight was battling the monsters, she was hit by a sword and fell, but quickly rolled backwards and dodged a spear. As she was losing ground, the giant cyclops that Ornstein was dueling not far from her fell backwards, holding its eye in pain as its giant ass crushed the majority of the monsters. The Knight sighed with relief before she quickly drank a hearty potion, healing most of her health and returning to destroy the rest of the now weakened horde. Ornstein stood still, spear in hand as he watched the Hinox get up, and roar in rage. Any Knight would be intimidated just by that, but Ornstein stood proud. It stomped towards Ornstein, who rolled in between the Hinox's legs, confusing it before Ornstein striked at the achillies tendon on one of its feet, causing it to nearly trip, before the Hinox stomped its foot down, however Ornstein backed away and successfully missed the attack. He charged his spear again, and this time he sent a lightning bolt towards the eye of the cyclops, as it hit and the Hinox fell down again, but soon got up. The Hinox began to hold its hand in front of his eye whenever Ornstein would try hit it, blocking him from getting its weakness. 

He wasn't called Hinox Slayer for nothing. The hinox slammed one fist down whilst keeping another on his eye. Ornstein quickly quickstepped sideways, getting behind the Hinox who did not see because his vision was covered with its hand. Ornstein slashed at the achillies tendon again, this time causing the Hinox to collapse and briefly unable to move. The hinox tried to get up but Ornstein striked the foot again, causing the hinox to fall on its belly. Ornstein quickly rushed to the head, repeatedly thrusting his spear on the Hinox's head as it yelled in agony. The electric cyclops yelled one more time as it released a burst of electrical energy, sending Ornstein backwards and injuring him. As he got up, the Hinox slowly rose and roared as you could see it's bloodshot eye. In a fury, the Hinox rushed forwards whilst repeatedly swinging its arms in front of it, however Ornstein easily evaded by heading to the side of the beast. . The Hinox stopped and paused, trying to regain it's breath. Ornstein quickly rushed to the front of the Hinox as he jumped, as the two met eyes before Ornstein sent one final thrust into the eye of the gigantic monster, finally ending it as it screamed in agony, holding its eye before finally slumping to the ground, dead. Ornstein looked back to see the single Knight who assisted him struggling against the monsters, as her hands began to wobble. Ornstein rushed to his knight's side, gracefully cutting down the last monsters. Finally, the last bokoblin collapsed as the horde had finally been finished off, successfully ending Ornstein's mission. 

" _Good job. You did well."_ Ornstein said as he placed a shoulder on the Knight, who immediately flustered and stood straight. 

_"Oh! T-thank you, Captain!"_ She quickly replied as she was more frozen than a rock. Getting compliments from a Knight Captain, especially the strongest, is a huge deal for any amateur Knight. 

_"No need. You are already stronger than all the others combined,"_ He said as he slightly turned his head to the side, and looked at the rest of the knights who still did not even help one bit, even when one of their comrades was in danger. Ornstein scoffed with disappointment before pointing towards the remains of the dead monsters, telling his group to help him loot and clean the mess. The rest of his knights finally started moving, but reluctantly dismembered the monsters as they carried the valuable parts back to the wagon. Ornstein grabbed the valuable parts of the Hinox, specifically the guts, nails and teeth, which were as big as his head. With his spear on his back, he walked back to his group who were ready to finally return home. 

Naboris roared as it destroyed the bazaar. Emilia and her group quickly fled, trying their hardest to run in the sand towards Gerudo Town. Suddenly, they heard Naboris charge it's destructive lightning beam. 

" _ITS COMING! RUN!"_ Emilia yelled as they kept running. However, Naboris fired it's lightning, striking one Knight who struggled to keep up with the rest of the group. They all looked back in horror as the Knight collapsed, his armor and skin all burnt. They were still in the range of Naboris's lightning, and it wasn't soon until it unleashed another lightning strike, this time hitting another Knight as he screamed and fell, faceplanting into the sand. 

_"KEEP GOING, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO WASTE TIME!"_ Emilia yelled as her voice strained. A few tears begun to swell up in her eyes but she could not afford to wipe them away. They kept running, but even though they were not being chased by Naboris, they still were in the range of it's attacks. 

_"CAPTAIN!!!"_ A third Knight yelled as he begun to slow down, exhausted as Emilia glanced backwards to look at him with sorrow while still running. She saw the Knight hold his arm out, his eyes looking at Emilia, before the flash of lightning appeared, traveling through his metal armor and skin, ending his life, similar to the two before him. Emilia looked back to the front, her eyes shut as more tears begun falling out. Emilia could not hear the noise of the outside world, which had been drowned out by the desert and her own footsteps. She kept running for a while, the state of her knights unknown to her. As Emilia reached the gates of Gerudo Town, as the town entrance was unguarded. Exhausted, Emilia looked back to see Naboris's foggy shadow in the distance. She waited, and waited, but none of Emilia's knights had appeared nor Barta. Emilia broke down, collapsing to her palms and knees as now even the tears were blocking her vision. As the tears dropped to the ground, it seemed like Emilia could make a puddle out of the sheer amount of tears she was making. 

_"This is not happening. Why... Its all because of me.. My foolishness led to the deaths of people who trusted me. Who looked up to me."_ She thought, now crying as she slowly realised what her reality was.

 _"I can't be a captain. I don't deserve to be a captain. I'm alive yet my young knights, who all had a bright future, are not."_ Emilia screamed as she cried, as a few Gerudo Guards quickly ran to the entrance to see all the commotion. All Emilia could hear and see, however, was her own thoughts and the cries of her knights, their final moments before they were all killed. Visions of the Knight holding his hand out, looking square at Emilia before lightning striked him, made Emilia break down even more. Guards tried to get her attention, and help her up, but no use. Emilia was still stuck in her mind, trying to escape the fate she had been given. She finally was dragged into the town by the soldiers, as she no longer cried, instead she quietly sobbed, too tired to let out the screams of her inner emotions. 

_"I hate my life.. Why.. Why me? Why does it happen to me?... Fate is so, very cruel."_

Ornstein and his group entered what seemed to be ruins of a very old village in the Faron, something exceedingly rare. It was probably the only sign of any civilisation in the wild jungles apart from the many broken Zonai carvings and monuments, and the few stables and buildings which were all housed outside of the dense jungle. To find actual ruins of a village inside the giant jungle, Ornstein was surprised. 

As they kept on walking through, Ornstein glanced at a peculiar house which was destroyed, apart from the few wooden beams and wooden debris near the house. Ornstein suddenly stood frozen with shock as he glanced at the now broken stairs leading down the dark basement of the destroyed home. His group all stood, wondering why Ornstein had stopped. Meanwhile, in Ornstein's mind, his past memories that he tried so hard to lock away all returned, flashbacks of his past all rushing into his mind. 


	15. Memories of a Zonai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The majority of this chapter takes place before Chapter 1 of this whole fanfic.

The only village inside the jungles of the faron still existed, with its houses all having sturdy roofs and a thriving community. In one house, was a family of a Father, Mother, an eldest brother, sister and youngest son. The youngest son was 12, while his siblings were 14 and 16.

The family hated the youngest son. Everyone in the village despised him, and tried to avoid him. This young boy was left to live his childhood alone, not even his family caring or helping him. He was forced to sleep in the basement, which was dirty and was full of many bugs and leaks. In the day, this boy would spend his hours deep in the jungle, finding all kinds of interesting things and places. He even met the occasional traveler, keep in mind this boy had never seen any civilisation outside of the Faron reigon. Though he was always targeted by the monsters living in the jungle, they all underestimated him due to his size and age, as the boy was astoundingly good for his age with a spear, able to kill multiple monsters by himself. Though he would sometimes get quite far from his village, he would always find his way back, to where he was always met with a very cold welcome.

His father was the chief of the village, and one of the last remaining Zonai warriors. He had a burning hatred for the Kingdom of Hyrule, and the Royal Family. The young son did not know why everyone he knew hated the rest of Hyrule , as all the people he had met that had come from foreign regions always seemed nice and friendly. One particular day, the boy had met a young Hylian Girl who was a bit older than him. She wore blue and white garments, all finely tailored and had the symbol of the triforce. The girl also had long, blonde hair which was silky smooth and shined gold. She was accompanied by 5 men who all wore berets and very royal-like uniforms, indicating to the boy that these were the people from the Kingdom of Hyrule, the ones his village hated.

" _Oh, are you lost?"_ The girl asked as she approached the boy. The boy wore very worn and torn clothing, and his skin was dirty, like he hadn't had a wash in ages. 

_"No.. I live here."_ The boy replied, as the girl and the men had faces of curiosity. 

_"In the jungle? Wow! My father told me that no one lives here anymore."_ The girl said, looking at the vast trees and wild terrain. 

_"There is only one tribe that lives here now. It is a small community, but they are all mean to me.."_ The boy replied. He never really knew why they all hated him, and he never tried to fight back whenever his father and the village abused him. They would slap, punch, kick, and throw various items at him, which he usually dodged. 

_"Why?"_ The girl asked with a worried look. 

_"We are part of the Zonai tribe, and my father, chief of the village, always told me that if I ever saw someone from the royal family, I would have to try and kill them no matter what."_ The boy said as he looked down with a regrettable look. The royal guards quickly stood in front of the girl, all gripping their weapons tightly as they stared at the boy with angry expressions. The boy was holding a spear as well, which seemed to make him more intimidating. Suddenly, they were all pushed aside by the girl who wanted to speak to the boy to learn more.

 _"But.. Why... Why does your father hate the royal family?"_ The girl asked as the boy looked at her. 

_"He says that our ancestors used to rule Hyrule, until your ancestors had come and taken over, and we were exiled. But I don't understand why they hate your people.. There's no reason to. Most of Hyrule never belonged to us anyway, and we killed thousands while we tried to conquer Hyrule. We were much worse than you guys. "_ The boy said as the guards all looked at each other. If the boy had ever said that exact dialogue in his village, his father would have immediately grabbed him and beat him so bad, you probably couldn't recognise him. 

_"So they all dislike you because you don't think badly of the Royal Family?"_ The girl asked. The boy only gave a shrug, but his body language leaned more to the expression of a nod. 

_"I guess. I just spend my time in the jungle so I don't know what they do in their free time."_ The boy said. Suddenly, one of the Royal guards began to ask the kid a question. 

_"Kid.. If you spend your days in this region. Surely you know how to traverse through it?"_ Banzetta asked. Banzetta was specially tasked by King Rhoam to protect Zelda at all costs. The group was heading to Lurelin Village but in doing so they had to cross the faron jungles. 

_"Yeah, but I wouldn't go if I were you. You would have to pass close to my village, and they would all try to attack you as soon as you come."_ The boy said. Banzetta expressed a little frustration, before he nodded and looked back at the kid. 

_"I see. Then maybe we should head back to the castle. We wouldn't want to disturb the peace of your people."_ Banzetta said as the kid looked sad, before the group began to turn around and head back the way they came. Before the boy could leave, he heard the girl calling out to him. 

_"Wait, don't go yet! I want to give you something!"_ He looked back to see the girl who waved as she shouted, running towards the boy as Banzetta and his men panicked, before quickly catching up to the girl who stopped as she reached the boy. 

_"Here, take this. It's a gift for being so kind to us and forgiving our past."_ She said as she held a triforce trinket in her hands. The boy looked with shock as she placed it in his palm, before a few tears began to appear in his eyes. The boy quickly wiped them away and sniffed, as he clutched the trinket tightly and stuffed it in his pocket. 

_"Oh, thank you! I.. Never have gotten a gift before. This means so much."_ The boy replied as the girl smiled, before hugging the boy. The boy had never received any sort of gift in his life, and this was probably the first time anyone had shown this much care towards him. Even if it was just worth very little, the boy would cherish it forever. 

_"Don't worry! Maybe one day you can come to Hyrule Castle! If you show me that thing then maybe I might remember you!"_ The girl said joyfully as the boy had a smile on his face. 

_"Wow! Uh, going out of the jungles.. It seems like a stretch, but I'll try!"_ The boy said passionately as the girl chuckled. Before the two departed, the girl asked one final question. 

_"I forgot.. What is your name? My name is Zelda."_ She said as she held her hand out. 

_"My name...."_

_"Name..."_

_"I don't have one.. "_ The girl seemed surprised, before trying to hold a bit of laughter. The boy laughed as well, before they both bursted with laughter. Even Banzetta couldn't help but let out a smirk or two.

The young Zelda and Banzetta began to head back, All waving goodbye to the boy who waved back. He still waved until the group seemed like small dots on the horizon, before finally disappearing. The boy finally stopped and decided to return, as the sun began to set. 

" _I can't go back to the village. Especially with something like this."_ The boy thought to himself as he stared at the trinket in his palm. He looked up, to see a cave in the distance. Sometimes the boy slept in the jungle, not returning back to his village to sleep.He did not mind, as for him sleeping in a cave would be much better than sleeping in an old, leaky, infested rundown basement. 

_"That cave should do. I can also work on my spear skills for the rest of the night if I need to."_ He thought as he walked towards the shelter. The cave was small, but the boy was able to stand up and have enough room to practice with his spear. He also found some remnants of a bonfire which he gladly utilised. Night came, and the boy had been practising with his spear for hours since he had come to the cave. The boy rested his spear against a rock, and crouched down next to the small fire he had made with the wood he had found. As he felt the warmth of the flame on his skin against the cold, night sky, he aimlessly thought about something he had always wondered. 

_"A name.. I have rarely ever heard my name be called once. Maybe a few times, but not enough for me to remember."_ The boy thought, and thought, until suddenly he finally remembered his name. 

_"Leo.. My name.. My name is Leo."_ He remembered the times his father called his name so he could continue abusing him, damaging his body which had not even fully recovered from the last beating. 

_"But.. All the name reminds me of is the abuse of the village. I want to make my own name. A name that sounds powerful and intimidating. I want to strive to be a warrior when I finally leave this forsaken jungle. But first I need a fitting name."_ The boy thought. He had to make a very important decision, as this would be what people would refer to him as now on. A few hours had gone by and the jungle was completely dark. If you looked at the whole region from a distance, the only light you could see was the feint embers coming from Leo's small cave. Finally however, Leo had finally come up with a name that he liked. One that would suit him for the many years ahead of him. The name his enemies would groan as their last words as Leo stuck his spear into them. 

" _Ornstein"._

Young Ornstein awoke in his cave to the cool breeze of the morning. His bonfire had burned out during his sleep, but you could still smell the ashes and embers of the remnants. As he rubbed his eyes and got up, he ate a banana he had picked for dinner the day before, and breakfast. As he finished his light meal, he picked up his spear and exited the cave, before he saw a very strange hooded figure walk towards him. The light of the sun blinded his view, so it was hard to see who the figure was. The figure approached Ornstein as he tried to block the sunlight out with his hand. As he finally could see clearly, he saw what seemed to be a old woman quite skinny, with her cheekbones visible. She had pale skin, and her hood seemed to have a small Cape behind it, similar to the Hylian Hood. As Ornstein stood confused, the woman smiled as she greeted him. 

" _You are the young Zonai boy.. Yes?"_ The woman said as Ornstein looked confused. 

_"Umm.. Yes.. Why?"_ He asked, taken back a little. The woman soon smiled, her upper face not visible as it was covered by the hood. 

_"Do not worry why, child.. I am here to tell you something of upmost importance. A prophecy, of sorts."_ She said, as Ornstein looked at her strangely. 

_"A prophecy?"_ He asked. What prophecy would he have to know about? 

_"Indeed. However it is only one that's limits are decided by your actions."_ The woman replied. 

_"My actions?"_ Ornstein asked, still confused as fuck. 

_"The prophecy tells that you will grow to be a strong, skilled man who will lead the Knights of the Hyrulean Army. You will utilise the lightning of Faron, imbued into your spear to increase your deadliness as a fighter."_ She read out from a scroll before putting it back into her pouch. Ornstein looked with surprise and disbelief, at what the woman just said. 

_"Leading knights? Hyrulean army? No way.. You have got to be lying. I refuse to believe that your prophecy is true."_ Ornstein could not imagine himself already as a fully fledged warrior, no matter how he tried. 

_"As I mentioned before.. This prophecy is only fulfilled by your will. You want to be a strong warrior, right?"_ The woman asked. 

_"Y-yes..?"_ Ornstein replied nervously. He still had not much of an idea who this lady was and why she knew so much information about him. 

_"Then you must heed my voice. Listen well to what I am about to say, as these words are key to fulfilling the prophecy."_ The woman said. She was about to explain what Ornstein needed to accomplish to "fulfill the prophecy".

 _"Okay.. I'm ready.."_ Ornstein said as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 

_"To make yourself a stronger fighter whole, you must use the elements of your home reigon. Secondly, you must have the courage to kill. The only way you can do this, is if you murder everyone in your village."_

_"W-w-wha?"_ Ornstein said with his eyes wide and mouth gaping. 

_"Do you not understand?"_ The woman replied as Ornstein quickly replied. 

_"I do.. But.. Why do I have to murder everyone in my village? That is not how you are supposed to build courage!"_ Ornstein raised his voice a little as the woman shook her head and sighed. 

_"If you don't, you will end up as the many soldiers who think the same. Who will never stand out as a warrior. And don't you want to have revenge? The sweet but bitter taste of revenge against all those who opposed you? Discriminated you due to your belief that the Royal Family is not evil?"_ She said as Ornstein looked shocked. Had she listened in on the conversation with him and Zelda? 

_"How did you.. Nevermind."_ He replied as he folded his arms and looked the other way. For some reason, he felt a strange feeling he had never felt before. Was this woman using some sort of subtle hypnosis on him? 

_"Remember. What lies ahead of your road depends on what you act on now. But this is all a prophecy. Ignore it if you will, but I am just telling you some insight about what possibilities can come out of your dreams. I will not explain any more, as I am not serving your future on a silver plate. "_ The woman said, before turning the other way and leaving. Ornstein helplessly stared at the short Cape of the leaving old lady, who did not stop to reply to Ornstein although he tried to asked questions. As the lady left his vision. Ornstein tried to process all this information, still unsure if the woman was lying or not. 

But Ornstein stopped thinking about the latter of what the woman said, and instead focused on the first half. The part where he could "utilise elements of his home region". All he could think about were the lightning spears that some bokoblins had held, so he decided to go fetch one and examine it. For some reason, Ornstein believed the woman, though what she said could easily be a hoax, and her telling him to get revenge had started to sink into his skin.

A day and a half had passed, an Ornstein finally found a bokoblin that held a lightning spear. As the monster slumped down, Ornstein gripped the spear with both hands and looked at it in awe. The more he glared at the bright, yellow light of the spear tip, the more fascinated he became. He could even see small volts quickly zapping throughout the tip. The spear had two deadly prongs and was jagged, meaning it could quickly cut through fabric and flesh, and the electricity would deal extra damage against metallic armor. The design was splendid indeed, Ornstein thought. 

The other great thing was that for elemental weapons, they never wavered throughout time. Their elemental damage would stay the same, unless the actual blade was damaged itself. But that was rare, as most of these special weapons used their elemental powers to act a sort of shield for the base metal. Ornstein looked from the tip to the base of the spear, one thing he noticed was that the spear was bigger than he would of preferred. The spear size was suited for adult males, but Ornstein slowly got used to the size as he practiced with it. He also noticed that the elemental damage would be less every time he attacked with the spear, and it would soon recharge after a few seconds of cool down. Ornstein also found a sword buckle which he strapped over his shoulder, allowing him to place his spear on his back. He also looted some worn leather armor, including leg guards, a right spader, and some forearm protection. As the base Ornstein had looted was pretty high on a mountain, The boy walked to the edge of a cliff, and for the first time in his life, he saw the rest of Hyrule. 

His eyes glistened and sparkled as he eyed the green, grassy fields of Central Hyrule. He saw a mountain in the distance covered with snow, and near that, a giant divine beast which was Vah Ruta. He saw the desert, and the small town near the center. He also saw the giant ancient camel that was slowly walking across the sand. His eyes soon came across Death Mountain, and he looked at the reptilian divine beast clinging on the side and the smoke from the volcano. In the distance, Ornstein eyed what appeared to be a stone pillar with many houses branching off of it. On the peak of the pillar, he saw an ancient Eagle resting as its eyes glowed shiekah blue, and behind it yet another range of snowy mountains. Adrenaline rushed through him as he smiled at the rest of Hyrule in the horizon. His eyes finally met the colossal Hyrule Castle, and the enormous town that was in front of it. He could not believe his eyes. 

" _Wow.. So this is Hyrule?"_ Ornstein thought as his mouth was still wide in awe. However, his gleeful expression suddenly faded as soon as he thought about one terrible thing. 

_"But.."_ All this time, Ornstein's father had told him that the rest of Hyrule was evil and violent. But how could they be if all this existed? Gigantic civilisations, beautiful landscape, there was even a humongous forest that seemed full of life. You would of never thought of the word "evil" if you gazed across the lands of Hyrule. 

Then... Was his father... Was everyone in his village... Lying? 

Ornstein furrowed his eyebrows. His open palms soon turned into angry, clenched fists. His breathing turned heavy, as the boy finally realised that he had been lied to his whole life. As soon as he was born, he was made to think that the rest of the world housed dark, malicious evil. Though he never agreed with his father's teachings, he still thought that all of Hyrule was dark and wasted. Ornstein finally took his eyes of the landscape of Hyrule and looked back, to see his village, which fueled his fury even more. But he saw something strange. He saw... Flames. His eyes widened as he saw a mob of monsters marching towards the village, holding wooden weapons and torches as they burnt down anything that crossed their path. Were the monsters angry because Ornstein had destroyed a day and a half's worth of bokoblin camps? Ornstein quickly let go of his emotional rage and hastily scaled down the mountain to the best of his ability. 

As he climbed down, Ornstein then thought about his abuse. The emotional trauma he had endured for most of his life. He stopped on the side of the mountain, before taking a deep breath and continuing to scale down, however this time he wasn't being fast. He took his time as he placed his footing on the many rocks and slowly made his way down the few ledges and paths he had been offered. Above him, birds gawked as Ornstein continued down, and a few minutes passed and Ornstein finally had touched solid floor, and took a short breather before he began to head back to his village although at a comfortable pace. 

As he got closer to his "home" he could smell the burning wood from the fire which began to spread through the houses. He heard ear-piercing screams, and the clang of two weapons slamming against each other. Ornstein finally entered the village through the opposite side of where the monsters entered, but it seemed like the boy had come too late, as there were no more fighting and screams to be heard. He passed ruined houses as they continued to be devoured by the bright fires, and a few bodies with external wounds. As he kept walking, he saw a few village soldiers face down on the ground, their weapons near them as they lay still. He heard a voice from one of the houses, and saw a woman who's body from shoulder down had been crushed by a roof plank, crying in agony as her child tried to lift the plank off. Ornstein neared the house to try and help, but he heard the child as he talked to himself. 

" _That dammed Leo.. He could do nothing in his life.. I hope he hasn't returned for a while because he was killed in the jungle. Serves him right for being a stupid cunt."_ The child was one of Leo's main bullies, who always tried to physically hurt him every chance he could. He was quite big and strong for a child his age, so Ornstein could not fight back, even if he wanted to. 

Ornstein angrily marched towards the back of the child who did not notice him yet. Ornstein placed on hand on his spear as he kept walking, before the bully finally turned around to see the sound. 

" _Y-YOU... Leo.. Why are you here? You should've been dead, we even had a community celebration after you hadn't returned for a while. Yet you come now, after everyone has been attacked? This was your doing, wasn't it you retarded pig?"_ The bully shouted as he angrily approached Ornstein. 

_"Partially. But I would have been glad to assist those bokoblins, like just as I'm doing now."_ The bully was now face to face with Ornstein, however Ornstein did not show any sign of fear. The bully smirked as he pushed Ornstein to the ground, but the kid quickly got up. 

_"Now? HAHAHA! You think you have what it takes to fight? You're weaker than a baby-"_ He was cut short as he looked in shock as Ornstein slowly unsheathed his electric spear from his back, holding it tilted forward as the bully backed up. 

_"Weaker than what? Baby? Well, sucks to be you as your cause of death was 'Killed by a baby'"._ Ornstein said as he walked towards the bully, who increased his pace as he walked backwards. The bully was speechless, before he did the most cliche thing a bully could do. Run. The bully turned back and began to sprint, but Ornstein was easily able to follow him and get closer. The bully ran out of breath and turned back to face Ornstein, as he held his hands out and cried a little. 

_"No.. PLEASE! SPARE ME PLEA-ARGHGH"_ Ornstein pierced the chest of the bully as electricity traveled through his body. The bully soon fell to the ground as he clutched his open wound. The bully could only cough and choke as he tried to speak, but the pain was too much as Ornstein held his spear up, pointing downwards, before he yelled as he forced it down with all his strength, killing the downed bully as his blood splattered all over the boy. As Ornstein looked down at the dead bully, he had a expression which showed no remorse, no emotions. It was strange. He had just murdered someone in cold blood, yet he did not feel sad at all. Actually, he felt a bit of relief. Was this the revenge that lady had been blabbering on about? 

Ornstein continued down the village. He still heard the cries of the woman stuck under the plank, but did not care enough to help her. As he reached the other side of the village, he saw a few soldiers who survived, albeit severely injured. The men were all sitting in front of the chiefs House, groaning as their wounds worsened. They looked up with disbelief as they saw the exiled son, but did not speak as they did not have the energy to. The door to the chiefs house suddenly opened, and out came Ornstein's siblings who were also extremely hurt. They saw the boy who stood in front of the house behind the injured soldiers, who had a stern look as his eyebrows curved in more. 

" _Look who it is. The unscathed yet disgusting boy. You should've taken our place, as the one who should have been inflicted all these wounds."_ The eldest brother said as Ornstein did not reply. 

_"How dare you have the audacity to come back to us, while we risked our lives to fend back the monsters! Our father was right. You really are a waste of matter."_ The sister said next, as Ornstein still did not reply. 

_"What's all this ruckus here, have the monsters come ba-"_ Ornstein's father came out, and his eye locked on to his son's as he had a surprised, yet angry expression. 

_"Father."_ Ornstein said as he stared at his father. 

_"Leo. Get out of my face."_ His father replied, as his expression turned darker. 

_"Why? Isn't it human for a father to love his child?"_ Ornstein said tauntishly as his dad begun to get frustrated. 

_"You are not my son. No one in this village sees you has family. Didn't you know? We held a festival when we thought you had died. Hah."_ His father laughed as Ornstein's siblings joined in as well. 

_"So he was telling the truth."_ Ornstein said as he remembered what the bully said. 

_"Who?"_ His father replied. 

" _The child who I just killed on the way here."_ The group went silent, as only the feint cries of the villagers and the burning flakes on fire could be heard. 

_"You... What..."_ His brother replied as he clenched his jaw. 

_"How dare you! So not only are you braindead and stupid, you decide to murder someone from your own village?"_ Ornsteins father replied as he brandished his weapon. Chief Zonai were known to use handaxes, just like Ornstein's father was doing now. 

_"I AM NOT FROM YOUR VILLAGE. You just said I'm not family. It would be a disgrace to be called family by someone like you."_ Ornstein said despisingly as his brother finally snapped.. 

_"Leo... I've had enough. Time for you to finally die."_ The eldest sibling charged, yelling as he thrusted his sword forward, only to strike air in confusion. 

_"Wha-ARGGH"_ Before the eldest could notice, he felt a spike of electricity stab him, as he slowly slumped to his knees. 

_"Can't even beat your little brother in a duel."_ Ornstein said as he still lodged his spear in his brother. The two met eyes as Ornstein's brother had an expression of anguish, and sorrow, only realising the true feelings of his brother as he soon would die. The eldest did not talk, only he closed his eyes, and waited. 

Ornstein placed one hand on the eldest's shoulder and one of his feet on his chest, before using it to pull out his spear as the eldest fell to the ground in defeat. Ornstein's spear did not have any blood stains, despite it brutally cutting through two opponent's chests so far. 

Next came his sister. She yelled as she held her greatsword before slamming it down, but Ornstein quickstepped to her left side, kicking her before she could react. She tried to balance herself but could not due to the weight of the greatsword. Ornstein then faced his spear downwards, the tip directly under his sisters arm, before quickly slashing upwards in a clean motion, slicing off the sister's left hand as she held her arm in pain. Ornstein stood there as he watched his sister scream and try to pick up her sword, but could not as she needed both due to the immense weight. He confronted his sister who looked at him with fear, before placing his spear on his back and picking up the greatsword. His sister looked helplessly as Ornstein held the sword upwards, before slamming it down, slicing her in half. His father looked in shock, before he shouted in anguish and sadness. He finally regained his composure, as he looked at Ornstein with a face of determination. He wanted his son dead. 

" _Leo.. Making you was the worse decision of my life. Alas, I need not fret because I will be the one, to end you."_ The father then held his hand axe and shield as he smiled. He knew that his own son could never beat him in a 1v1. 

_"Then.."_ Ornstein unsheathed his lightning spear, which made his father feel uneasy as he stared at the bright elemental tip. He gripped the spear with two hands, and readied himself in a stance, with a look of determination and revenge, combined. 

_"Bring it on."_

Ornstein's father yelled as he barbarically charged in, holding his axe high as he neared his son. Ornstein dodged backwards, but held his spear horizontally in front of him as his father swung his axe down, striking the spear. Ornstein quickly used the chance to kick back his father, before quickly placing his spear back into normal position and thrusting it forward, hitting the shield of his father who quickly counterattacked by blindly swinging his axe more than a few times in front, which Ornstein dodged. His father finally stopped his flurry of blows, but as he looked, his son was out of sight. Then he realised. With panic he quickly tried to turn around, but before his torso could rotate he saw the two prongs of Ornstein's spear exit out of his chest. Ornstein quickly pulled it out, but his father was not down yet, to his suprise. His father swung again in which Ornstein dodged, but could not anticipate a shield bash from his father as he was knocked down. His father maniacally laughed as he swung his axe to the floor, but Ornstein rolled sideways and barely missed the attack. The axe was lodged in the dirt but Ornstein's father could not take it out in time before Ornstein decided to strike, stabbing him again in his chest repeatedly, until his father finally begun to fall to the floor. As he did, Ornstein kneeled down to his dying father as he lay down in pain, his father's eyes starting straight at his son who had the same look he had before they had fought. 

" _Leo.. Carry on.. The Zonai.. Legacy.."_ His father said as Ornstein furrowed his brows. 

_"No."_ Flat out. His father was suprised for a second, expecting more of a response. 

_"You..must.."_ He groaned. 

_"I will never follow the same path as you. Just know that you will die, and the last hope of a Zonai uprising will fade with you."_ Ornstein said as his father looked sorrowful and helpless. All his father wanted to do was take back Hyrule some day, or even just assassinate someone of the royal status. 

_"No.. Why.. Leo.."_ His father held his hand towards his son, who held it tightly as he looked down. 

_"Any last words?"_

_"I'm sorry.. Leo.."_ his father said in a regrettable tone. 

_"My name is not Leo anymore. It is Ornstein."_

_"Orn.. stei-"_ Ornstein had finished off his father before he could finish his new name, making sure that no memories would ever be stained as he left for a new life. 

It was the realisation that hit hard. Ornstein was too consumed by anger and revenge to realise that they were still his own family. The sensation of crying brushed onto him like a tidal wave, as he left his father's corpse and looked up, to see his mother. 

The only Zonai remaining were Ornstein's mother, and the few soldiers who survived. Ornstein's mother never really abused him, only ignoring him. Ornstein decided to spare his mother as she saw him walk away, expecting some kind of farewell or dialogue. But then, Ornstein spoke. 

" _Remember my name. Ornstein. When I become a warrior I don't want to see your sorry self proclaim yourself as my mother when you show up one day."_ Ornstein finally turned his back and began walking away, his mother still shocked and speechless. 

On a mountain not far away, the hooded woman sat as she watched the events of the village that just took place. As Ornstein begun to walk away, the woman evilly smiled. 

" _Finally. The Zonai are done for. That child can go chase his dream."_

Ornstein finally stepped out of the Faron region, something he had never done before. It felt like he had just been released from a decade of imprisonment. The sense of accomplishment he had for this one feat was.. Overwhelming. He immediately felt the slow change in temperature. It was far more sunny, and the further he walked from Faron, the warmer he would be. He spent the next few weeks familiarising himself with the new aspects of life, including the currency, and the other races excluding Hylians. He also learnt more about the Hyrulean Army, and the Princess and the Champions. As the weeks turned into months, Ornstein had traveled through a chunk of Hyrule, talking with the merchants, travelers, and locals who all stayed at the same places he did to listen to their stories and advice. He soon found a job as a monster hunter, but started slow as many would doubt his skills as he was still a child, but were amazed once they saw Ornstein's spear abilities. After gaining a fair amount of rupees and buying himself proper clothing, Ornstein finally felt it was time to head to Hyrule Castle, where the annual soldier trials would be held soon. It was time to finally begin his dream of becoming a Knight of the Hyrulean Army. 

5 months passed by, and Ornstein was about to head into his 2nd ever battle. The first he had learnt the ropes about war and how to fight in a big group. He was being sent to Lanaryu, where he would help Zora soldiers against the Lizalfos. This battle he learnt much about the other races and was fascinated by how the Zora looked like. He even saw the Zora Princess Mipha, as she was holding her trident as she spoke to her little brother, but Ornstein quickly looked away, worried he might be stalking a little. 

The Champions Inauguration had just ended, finishing with the magnificent display of fireworks. Ornstein attended, and met many new friends and allies there as well. One of these was Smog, who always wore a mask whenever he went to the public. He also acquainted with Young Corpus and Julia, who he would battle with in the future. 

A few years had passed, and Ornstein, Smog, Corpus and Julia were all in the night chambers enjoying their break alongside the many other soldiers. 

" _Smog.. I can't believe you actually showed us your face. You trust us that much?"_ Julia said as Smog had shown the trio his real face under the mask not long ago. 

_"I just thought it would be easier to get along with you guys.. But never again.. Consider yourselves lucky."_ Smog was a little embarrassed but luckily his mask hid away his red cheeks. 

_"Strange. Actually, Ornstein, what's your story? Where did you come from?"_ Julia asked, curious. Julia and Ornstein had become closer the past years, but only Julia had revealed her past to the group as Ornstein tried to avoid the chat as much as possible. Ornstein gulped. He couldn't get out of this one. 

_"Well, I came from the Faron region."_ The others all looked with surprise. 

_"Are you serious?"_ Smog asked as he leaned in to better inspect the nervous Ornstein. 

_"The thing is.. I would prefer not to talk about it. My past.. It really isn't that pleasant."_ He replied, as the trio nodded in respect. 

_"I see.. Well, none of us know Corpus's past and I doubt we ever will."_ Julia said as he glared at Corpus who had a neutral look like always. 

_"Correct."_ He replied. His voice sounded strange because he hardly ever spoke. 

Suddenly, the group looked up to see purple and black goo leaking through cracks in the ceiling as the sludge had entered most upper levels of the castle. Panic soon ensued, as no one knew what that foreign slime that had consumed the castle was. The black sky that had clouds and stars soon turned into a violent, crimson shade. 

_"Everyone! Emergency! Calamity Ganon has resurfaced and his malice is spreading throughout the castle! Gear up and head outside Castle Town!"_ One Knight yelled to the soldiers as they all quickly scrambled to the armory. The soldiers were told about the imminent return of the Calamity, and the Princess and Hero who were tasked to take it down. 

_"Oh, shit. Cmon guys, let's go."_ Smog said as he quickly got up and raced to the doorway, followed by Julia and Corpus. Ornstein stood for a second before quickly following behind, joining in the mass of people hurrying down the hallways. 

The calamity began. The soldiers were tasked with protecting Castle Town against the army of corrupted guardians. Ornstein had never seen one before, but was able to take one down by striking it's eye with his electric spear, to the surprise of his friends. Soon the guardians began to overrun the defensive line, getting closer to the walls of the town. Knights quickly showed up and assisted the soldiers, as Ornstein watched as a group coordinately took down one guardian with ease. The tide of the battle kept on switching sides. But as the battle grew longer, more guardians began to pour out from the pillars, and eventually there was enough destructive power of the combined guardian forces to take down the soldiers and make it to the town. The group of teenagers looked in disbelief as they laid on the ground, and Julia, who tried to get up but was stopped by Corpus, who told her it was better to act dead. All Ornstein could hope that the inside forces could hold back the guardians, to minimalize the civilian casualties. But then the soldiers saw a blinding light in the middle of Hyrule Field, the sacred magic of Princess Zelda fighting off the blood-stained sky of the blood moon. He then saw the horde of Guardians who previously entered Castle Town all scurry towards the Princess, who was actively giving the army a chance to head in and evacuate any remaining civilians. They quickly seized the opportunity, and snuck in to the deserted Castle town which was only minorly damaged thanks to Zelda's efforts. Ornstein and the others were tasked to help lead the evacuees eastward to Akkala Citadel, where Banzetta would be the one to lead the defense there. As they were en route, Ornstein saw Vah Ruta devastate the monster forces raiding the citadel, as he could hear the cheers of the soldiers even this far away. Once they made it to the Citadel and the civilians were safely secured, everyone at the citadel- no, everyone in Hyrule, saw 4 magnificent laser beams strike Hyrule Castle in unison, signaling that the calamity was heading into full gear. A while had passed, and Ornstein knew that Ganon and Champion Link were duking it out this very moment. He prayed for the victory of Link, and the victory of Hyrule. 

Finally, the red sky slowly faded into a cooler, dark night. Clouds covered the full moon who had reverted back to normal, meaning that the influence of Ganon had finally vanished. A few monsters soon fell as soon as the malice disappeared, and within a few moments, cheers spread across all of Hyrule. That is, until Zelda's next speech. 

News spread about the fate of the Hylian Champion and his funeral was to be held in a few days. Ornstein had occasionally seen the Princess around the castle, who seemed pale and did not show any sort of expression. The resignation of Banzetta made it even worse, as the current state of Hyrule's military was in shambles. He had heard rumors that the Knight Joun would take his place as the Captain of the Royal Guard. 

During the funeral, Ornstein listened to the priest as he talked about the life of Link, and he glanced at the four champions who all were on the verge of tears. The ceremony ended with Zelda holding out the master sword as she said one last blessing for Link for the afterlife. In actuality, he was buried at the temple of time, where the voice inside the master sword had told Zelda to. And the sword had instructed her to seal the sword where Link's last battle took place, a room only a few people on Hyrule knew it's existence of. 

**2 years after Link's death**

The introduction of the 8 Knight Captains was exciting news to Ornstein, who's friend group had increased to a total of eight. Emilia, Smog, Julia, Corpus, Tarkus, Aldrich, Baldrick and himself who had all become fresh, new Knights. They all made a vow to each take one of the eight spots available for the Captain position, all following in the steps of the late Hylian Champion. Luckily, they all passed and each became one of the Captains. Now with their new status, some knights like Corpus and Smog decided to acquire different armors and weapons. Ornstein himself too had a special armor made for him, which he still wore even 5 years later. His spear was also refined, increasing the elemental charge, the range and durability of the weapon. He spent the next supposed 2 years learning how to channel electricity through his custom spear, and within a year he fully mastered the once thought impossible concept. He also frequently spent time at the library, where he would read up on the different descriptions of monsters and the best ways to deal with one. He got his nickname "Hinox Slayer" soon after due to his knowledge of Hinox behaviour, and this knowledge greatly propelled him forward in terms of strength and skill. And before he knew, people began calling him the "Captain of the Captain's", a strange but funny nickname which he didn't dislike. 

The years passed, and the knights were all so individually busy that they soon began to contact each other less often. The friend group all split up at one point to pursue their own dreams, but would still remain aquaintances if they were to meet up in the future. Ornstein, now a very capable Knight, always gained the respect of any warrior, no matter their strength or status whenever he walked into a room. 

Each year the Captains would get a new batch of Knights under their wing, and Ornstein would always get the pampered ones, something he learnt to hate as each batch came and left. He was also tasked with the most dangerous missions, but he did not complain as it also helped increase his strength and skill. Another perk of being a captain was that Ornstein could meet many famed individuals, such as the Shiekah serving the Royal Family, and even the four champions who all wanted to focus on helping their respective race expand instead of fighting. This was the main reason that drove Zelda to initiate the idea of Knight Captains. But that did not mean the Champions weakened. During the 7 years, the champions did not let their weapons rust and were always happy to help fight against monsters and evil. 

Joun had also progressed, as he got the position of Royal Guard Captain and along the way, fell in love with the Princess. Joun was on another level than the Captains, but still insisted that he would be no match for Link if they had ever dueled. 

**7 years after Link's "death" (Present day)**

_"Its nothing. Let us continue."_ Ornstein said as he passed the ruined house as he held his head. His knights were all confused but ultimately decided to just listen to their captain for once. The group walked along the ancient-like path of the region. Ornstein finally had the peace and quiet he wanted, as his knights had finally shut up. He looked around the surrounding jungles, ironically since Ornstein wanted to forget his past as much a possible, he could remember the exact locations of where everything around his village was. 

" _Um, Captain, are you sure this is the way?"_ One Knight asked as the wagon of monster parts from the camp was being pulled. You could hear various monster bones and horns hitting against each other every bump the carriage went over. 

_"Just follow my lead. I'm familiar with the Faron Region."_ Ornstein said without even glancing back at all. 

The group finally exited the jungle, as the pampered knights all sighed with relief. They briefly stayed at a local village, resting and preparing for their last stretch back to the castle. 

Ornstein gazed at the sky as his men readied the final things before they would set off. The group finally departed to report back to the castle. 

As they were let in by the guards and stationed their wagon, the group entered the sanctum where they were told that the Princess was absent. Ornstein looked around to see Corpus, Smog and Aldrich who all noticed his presence as they had already finished their assigned duties and were hanging around the castle. Ornstein told his knights to get rest and decided to take a stroll around the castle. 

As he walked alone near the gates to the castle, he saw a horse incoming and quickly stayed in high alert. As he discovered who it was, Ornstein was surprised and quickly sheathed his weapon. It was Link, who had come to see Robbie's new invention. 

**Gerudo Canyon Stable**

" _Our plan is in set, everyone."_ Various gerudo and hylian soldiers all gathered around Zelda, who were going to assist her in taking back Vah Naboris. 

_"Mipha, since you do not have the necessary resistance against lightning, I will task you with leading the rescue operation for the civilians in Gerudo Town."_ Mipha nodded as she and her small team readied their sand seals and prepared to head out. Zelda then looked at Revali, who was waiting impatiently. 

_"Revali, you will be the scout and are tasked with flying above Naboris and report it's status. You will also need to fire bomb arrows at the beast's legs, after Daruk has begun his task."_ Revali nodded as he placed his quiver, fulled to the brim with bomb and regular arrows on his back. He was the only rito in the operation so he would have to go alone.

 _"Daruk, you will have the most dangerous mission of all. You must lead the charge and have Naboris focus on you, as with your rubber armor and Goron skin, you should take lightning strikes fairly well."_ Daruk was wearing rubber armor that was especially designed against electricity. Mipha and Revali lightly chuckled as they looked at the odd Goron, who looked embarrassed as the armor was quite tight for his bulky build. 

_"Once Daruk has distracted Naboris and Revali has taken out the power of the beast, I will lead the charge as we will all ride in to enter Naboris as soon as possible."_ Everyone readied up, grabbed their leashes of their sand seals as Zelda gave her last words. 

_"We must get started now. We have already wasted a lot of time preparing and setting the plan. I hope you are all ready, as we will begin the operation right.... now!"_


	16. Champion's Plight

Revali was first to leave, heading to Naboris to assess the current situation. Everyone else had to wait for Revali's report before they could move on forward. The Rito soared above the enormous sandstorm that still raged, before finally spotting the divine beast. Revali circled around the beast, but kept a good distance away so Naboris couldn't attack him. From what he saw, the divine beast seemed fine. There were no signs of corruption nor were there any external source of power. Naboris also paced around randomly, having no destination and direct path. 

" _Revali! What did you see?"_ Zelda said as she saw Revali in the distance as he landed back at the stable safely. 

_"Nothing seems to suspicious to me. Everything works fine and the beast seems to be aimlessly walking around the desert."_ Revali said, recounting what he saw. 

_"This should be perfect then. Daruk, get ready. The success of this operation depends on whether you can tank Naboris's blows."_ Zelda said as the rest prepared to leave. The Goron in rubber tights smiled. 

_"Don't worry about me, princess!"_ Daruk said with confidence as he pumped his fist. Zelda seemed relieved. She always liked the Goron's bright attitude and his strength to overcome any challenge. He nodded as he rode off on his sand seal, heading directly to where Naboris was. 

_"Mipha, you should go too."_ Zelda looked at Mipha who had a ready expression as she too nodded and prepared her men as they rode towards the half-built Gerudo Town. 

Now all that was left was to wait for Daruk to get a little further before Zelda could leave. Zelda's hair and palms let off a little sweat, as she thought about the possibility of having to fight Urbosa, who was considered the strongest of the 4 champions. 

" _C-champion Link!"_ Ornstein said with shock as Link dismounted at the gates as a stable worker quickly came to take the horse. 

_"You must be Ornstein, right?"_ Link said as he examined the captain, who he had heard about before. No one in Hyrule looked remotely alike to Ornstein's elegantly forged armor. 

_"Indeed. I am humbled that you are aware of my name."_ Ornstein bowed to the Champion as Link expressed slight embarrassment. 

_"Don't worry. I'm here on short notice, I'm on my way to the lab, "_ Link said as the two were fast walking, but suddenly Ornstein stopped and paused, confusing Link. 

_"If I may.. Would you mind letting me be your escort? I saw a lot of people up near the inner castle there who will probably swarm you with attention."_ Ornstein stood tall and straight as he awaited Link's answer, who chuckled a bit and placed his shoulder on Ornstein's. 

_"Escort.. Sure, but just asking. You're fine if we run, right?"_

Ornstein and Link sped across the path to the Research Lab. Link had told Ornstein about the Gerudo situation and why he had to be fast. Ornstein hadn't lied though. Link looked to the sides as he saw many figures who stared at the passing knights as they continued up. It wasn't usual for this many people to be at and around Hyrule Castle.

Ornstein began to pant as a few more minutes passed, the Captain finding it hard to run in his armor. Link, however was not breathing hard at all. He did wear quite light clothing, but even he should've be tiring by now. The two finally reached the doors to the lab as there were many Shiekah and Hylian journalists present, as word spread that a new ancient invention was ready to be unveiled to the public. The guards at the door of the lab would not let people in however, as the lab was off-limits to outsiders and Robbie actually did not want to share his creation just yet. The two guards spotted Link and bowed as they opened the doors, the various journalists staring at disbelief as Link and Ornstein were granted access to the lab in less than a minute, while some journalists had been waiting for more than an hour.

The immediate smell of machinery and dust swerved around Link as he entered, looking around the room in curiosity. The lab was quite big, there were many stations where many researchers were working on their own specific ideas. Link glanced to the middle of the room to see a big, center table and the majority of the researchers, all gathered around Robbie and Purah. Purah looked past the many heads of the researchers to see the new arrivees, as she waved, signaling the two to come closer. 

" _Look who finally came! How do you like it here?"_ Purah shouted in her enthusiastic tone as Link walked closer. 

_"It's.. Definitely something."_ The smell was off-putting to Link, wondering if the researchers had gotten used to the smell or just didn't care. Purah squinted her eyes as she held her hands on her hip, leaning forward to stare at Link's companion, as Ornstein slightly tilted his head sideways. 

_"Who's this with you?..Oh, Sir Ornstein! Thank you for stopping by as well."_ Purah said as she bowed. 

_"No problem, glad to be here."_ Ornstein said, he too was distracted by the smell.

 _"Well, now that you're here, I feel that I am ready to begin my presentation."_ Robbie said with excitement. 

_"Presentation?"_ Link asked. 

_"Yes, see that? That is what I have called you over for. Trust me, you won't be disappointed."_ Robbie pointed to what seemed to be something covered by a blanket that sat on the table. It was quite large and had an odd shape. Link tried to imagine things with matching or similar descriptions that could be under that blanket, but nothing came to mind. Robbie truly was a strange yet very creative inventor. 

" _What is it?"_ Link asked as Robbie held his head and laughed. 

_"It is a creation that was made on blueprints but never constructed. 3 years ago I found the prints and decided to make the concept a reality. So, Link, now that you're alive, I don't have any other choice but to bestow this gift upon you. Behold, the Master Cycle Zero!"_ Robbie shouted in upmost confidence and excitement before he grabbed and flung the blanket off, revealing the ancient motorbike in all of its glory. 

Everyone stared in amazement at the extravagant design of the bike. Accompanied with the blue and orange lights, the suspension springs for the wheels, which had treads to make it efficient even on rough ground, and not to forget the horse shape at the front of the bike, something Link admired. 

" _You made this?"_ Link asked, surprised. 

_"Of course. I know you're surprised, but this is supposedly what the monks from 10,000 years ago thought of, something not even we far in the future could've ever comprehended."_ Robbie said as he could not take his eyes off his invention. 

_"How does it work?"_ One researcher asked. Robbie laughed before confidently explaining how it worked. 

_"Hahahahaha.. It is an ancient vehicle that can take you anywhere when you ride on it! To use it, you must fill it up with fuel. It also has a top speed faster than a horse and can also accelerate twice as fast as one. In conclusion, it is basically a horse, but better in every single way! "_ The bike had a fuel tank under the seat which consumed any material, although some were more effective than others. Robbie gasped before he quickly scrambled through his bag and pulled out a small ancient wristband. 

_"_ _And here, Link. Use this. It is a bracelet that will allow you to instantly summon and store your bike whenever you want."_ Link looked at the bracelet with confusion, as he fitted it onto his wrist as the ancient band glowed blue and orange. 

_"Summon my bike?"_ Link did not know what Robbie meant, however Robbie was more than keen to explain. 

_"You know of the shiekah slate runes, right? This bracelet works off a similar concept, with a press of the button you can store the cycle into the bracelet, and when you're ready to ride again, you can always resummon it."_ Link looked surprised at the statement, how advanced was this technology he was being given? 

_"That's amazing. So I can basically carry it anywhere?"_ Link examined his bracelet.

 _"Yup! Useful, isn't it?"_ Robbie replied with haste. 

_"You don't mind if I use it now, do you?"_ Link asked, in to which Robbie responded. 

_"We ran a few test runs and it seems to be fine. I have heard of the brewing situation in Gerudo Desert, so if you would like then you can test drive it to reach Zelda and the others."_ Link remembered what the shiekah messenger had told him, about how Urbosa had gone insane. 

_"I'll take your word, Robbie. Thanks again, I can't believe you're entrusting me with something like this."_ Link said with amazement as with a press of his bracelet, the bike suddenly dematerialised and was sucked into the bracelet.

 _"Do not be concerned. This is after all, your own divine beast."_ Robbie said with a smirk. 

Link looked back with a smile, before he waved goodbye as he headed out of the lab, Ornstein following behind. 

" _How does it feel? "_ Ornstein asked as Link moved his wrist. 

_"I don't feel any added weight for some reason. I'm bewildered as to how this was even conceived."_ He adjusted his bracelet more, the band itself was quite tight, but it had a nice comfort to it which Link didn't dislike. 

_"And in the past. Imagine how technologically advanced the monks were compared to us?"_ Ornstein said. The two walked some more, before they reached the intersecting path that led to the castle and back to the gates. 

_"Well, I will have to leave now, so good luck with your adventures, Sir Ornstein."_ Link held out his hand. Ornstein returned the gesture, the two firmly shaking hands. 

_"You too, Master Link."_ Link walked to the gates as Ornstein headed his way, back to the Sanctum.

Link could not help but smile as he thought about the master cycle. Though it was lackluster in terms of size and power, Link was glad that he finally had his own "divine beast."

" _We must head down now! Daruk has given us an opening!"_ Zelda yelled as she was on her sand seal. Naboris was charging its laser soon after Daruk had successfully gotten in the range of the beast. 

_"Yes Princess!"_ The warriors all yelled as they rode across the desert, their sand seals leaving behind a thick trail of dust. 

Revali flew upwards, making sure that Naboris would focus on Daruk. Mipha quickly headed to Gerudo Town with her small team, using the distracted Naboris to shield their journey. Daruk rode closer and closer, knowing any second he could be electrocuted by the Divine Beast. Of course, Daruk jinxed himself. 

Lightning struck Daruk, and with a heavy grunt, Daruk continued closer. Despite wearing electric absorbing gear and already being naturally resistant to lightning, Naboris's strikes still devastated the Goron, who did not back down. Revali flew downwards, nosediving until he got under the beast's abdomen and quickly, he swooped between the beast's legs, firing 3 bomb arrows which all exploded on one of the limbs, weakening Naboris's lightning before he flew back up to safety before Naboris could begin charging again. 

" _Thats the way, Revali!"_ Daruk shouted as he looked at the limb which Revali shot at, as sparks of electricity could be seen as it slowly disabled. Naboris charged again, and Daruk held his Boulder Breaker above him. If he couldn't dodge Naboris, then he would have to brute force his way through the lightning. A few moments later, Naboris striked again at Daruk, as he yelled as he tripped and lost grip of his sand seal. His stone sword did help a lot in absorbing the electricity, its thick rock blocking the strike. As soon as he saw the electricity, Revali quickly swooped down again, repeating what he did before to another of Naboris's limbs as the arrows exploded. This repeated two more times, Daruk who was just able to withstand a fourth lightning strike before collapsing and Revali, who successfully disabled all four limbs of Naboris as you could hear it's mechanical cry. Naboris, briefly stunned, finally had its lightning disabled and had no choice but to stay still until it could recharge. 

" _This is our only chance, everyone! Board Vah Naboris now!"_ Zelda screamed as her company shifted to full speed, speeding all the way to Naboris who was no longer a threat. Daruk lay in the sand as he was visibly burnt by the lightning. He smiled though, he was able to stall Naboris long enough for the rest to get in. Revali quickly headed down to the entrance of Naboris, as he stood, looking on to the incoming warriors. Zelda finally reached Naboris, taking off her sand seal leash and waiting for the warrior's noises to subside. 

" _Thanks to Champion Daruk, Champion Revali has been able to temporarily shut off Naboris's defenses. Now it is our turn. We must subdue Urbosa any way possible, however we must not use any lethal force or fighting that could result in Urbosa being inflicted fatal wounds. Let's go everyone! "_ Zelda explained as she, Revali and the warriors all cautiously entered the divine beast, and Daruk, who lay on the sand, exhausted as he took his well earned rest. 

Mipha reached Gerudo Town, and to her shock, it looked like a wasteland. Weeds and moss grew out from the cracks of stone, the half built walls which Mipha could not tell if they were destroyed by Ganondorf or simply not built yet. The central square of the town was also depressing, as the once famed markets were now shells of their former selves. There were a few people inside the town, however they all sat on the ground, backs on the walls as they had no signs of hope. Mipha continued walking, no one batting an eye to her group. Mipha then looked near a small flight of stairs, and saw a crestfallen Emilia who sat there with sorrow. 

" _Is that.. The Zora princess?"_ The people now began to pay attention to the group, as they all laid their eyes on the Zora.

_"You mean the Champion, Mipha?"_

_"So we're saved, you're telling us?"_ A few people got up, using all their strength to perform just a simple task. Who knows how long they must of been trapped here, with limited supplies that were already low to start with. 

" _You.. Champion Mipha.."_ Emilia groaned as she squinted at the Zora who quickly aided her. 

_"Who are you? Is everyone okay?"_ Mipha quickly used her hands to support Emilia, as she helped lift her up to stand. 

_"My name is Emilia. I was a Knight Captain."_ Emilia said with very visible sorrow. 

_"Was? Did a Knight Captain resign?"_ Mipha hadn't heard of a Knight Captain resigning anywhere. 

_"Not officially. But I don't consider myself one anymore since I've reached the town."_ Emilia said as she looked like she was about to cry, but even she was too exhausted to let the tears flow out. 

_"I see... Then, do you still have the courage to help the people left in the town? I am sure in a time like this that a brave figure like you can rise to the occasion."_

_"I guess. But don't expect much of me anymore."_ Mipha had handed out the rations she had been given to the starved and trapped people, who all gracefully accepted her offers and agreed to follow her back to the stable. Emilia hesitantly agreed, as she held onto Mipha's sand seal as the group began their way back. Mipha's mission was a success, as everyone was brought onto the sand seals as they quickly departed from the abandoned town back to Gerudo Canyon. In the distance, Mipha saw Naboris who lay dormant, as it's cries and footsteps could no longer be heard. The sandstorm also began to lower, as Mipha prayed that Zelda had successfully entered Naboris. 

_"Princess, you do remember the layout of the beast, I'm guessing?"_ Revali said with unease as Zelda looked around, examining the many compartments of the beast. 

_"It has definitely been a long while since my last visit, but I've got my bearings down and should be able to remember atleast the general direction to the center room."_ The beast was silent. You could hear the ambience of the Divine Beast overlapping with the footsteps and few whispers of Zelda's group. Suddenly, Zelda looked forward. They had reached a giant room with pillars and platforms, and a big, flat floor that was perfect for a battle. In the center, Zelda saw the main terminal of the divine beast, glowing bright blue, a sign that no evil had corrupted Naboris. However, what followed next did not relieve Zelda in any way. Next to the control pad of the terminal, a figure could be seen, shrouded in electricity as only her upper face was not affected. The blue champions garb could be seen through the many sparks of electricity that hindered the view as most of the body was. The red hair was clearly visible, not affected by the lightning. The figure held a scimitar and round shield, both encased with a layer of electricity to increase their capabilities. Everyone looked in horror as the eyes of the figure colored bright green, coldly stared at Zelda, who stared back. 

" _U-Urbos.. a?"_ Zelda said, speechless. 

People of many villages and small settlements scattered throughout Central Hyrule peeked out of their windows in confusion as they heard a loud, rumbling noise. As they glanced, They saw the iconic green pointy hat that blew in the wind, as the master cycle roared by the many onlookers as Link headed to the Gerudo region as hastefully as possible, sword and shield in hand. He was going so fast that in a few minutes he would reach the canyon stable. Link remembered Robbie's statement about the tyres of the master cycle; the treads made specifically for efficient offroading. 

" _Zelda!"_ Revali shouted at Zelda as Urbosa flickered like lightning as she rushed towards Zelda. Revali quickly pushed Zelda, saving her from the imminent strike by Urbosa. 

_"Urbosa.. Please.."_ Zelda could not bring herself to fight Urbosa. She was someone she looked up to, and was one of the only remaining people who knew her mother as a friend. Urbosa savagely striked again, swinging her scimitar covered in electricity at Revali who quickly dodged backwards and drew his bow. 

" _Princess.. I know this is hard but, we have no other choice. I promise that I won't do further more than incapacitating her."_ Revali reassured Zelda as he prepared to fight, unsure whether he would be able to take down the champion. Urbosa slumped downwards, before straightning her posture and charging at Revali, who dodged again and sent arrows towards Urbosa. Urbosa held her shield up, blocking every single attack from Revali, to his dismay. Urbosa was not her self. As a warrior, she usually always stood tall and proud, her strikes always quick and clean. This Urbosa was showing none of those traits. Urbosa held her scimitar upwards, as even more electricity accumulated at the tip of the blade, before Urbosa pointed the blade at Revali, as a bolt of electricity shot out from the blade. The bolt was fast, fast enough that even the agile Revali could not anticipate it in time. The lightning bolt struck Revali, immediately downing him in a single strike. 

" _Revali!"_ Zelda shouted. Thanks to Revali's skirmish with Urbosa, Zelda was able to slightly regain her senses and gain the courage to fight. Without hesitation, Zelda fired a bolt of light magic towards Urbosa, who was distracted by Revali. Urbosa stumbled forward as her back was hit, before turning back as she faced Zelda with an angry expression, something Zelda thought she would never see in her life. Urbosa crouched, a sign that she was about to attack Zelda. As Urbosa flew forward to the Princess, Zelda quickly rolled sideways, just dodging Urbosa who immediately began an offensive rush. The warriors quickly ran towards Zelda, who struggled to keep up with Urbosa as she narrowly missed the electrified scimitar. Urbosa turned around to see a group of warriors all rushing her, but Urbosa held her shield up, as the electricity of the shield electrified the warriors who all yelled as they hit the ground. More came, but even though they outnumbered Urbosa, they were still unable to take her down as Urbosa struck down them all with a single strike each. As the warriors lay in pain, Urbosa turned her attention back to Zelda, and as she did, Zelda had finished charging her attack. 

Zelda shouted, as she released a giant burst of sacred energy, striking Urbosa dead on as Urbosa was flung backwards towards the other wall of the divine beast, her back slamming hard as she hit the ground as she knelt. Zelda panted as she lay, as she used most of her remaining power to fire that single burst of energy. Zelda crossed her fingers, praying to the goddesses that Urbosa was finally defeated. However, Urbosa slowly stood, recovering from Zelda's strike as Urbosa lifted her head up, her eyebrows furrowed as the woman was furious at Zelda, who had a look of pure horror. Urbosa screamed, holding her scimitar up once more as she charged towards Zelda, as no one left would be able to interfere Urbosa. 

Daruk yelled as he bashed into Urbosa mid charge, arriving just in time and knocking down the champion as she rolled several meters. 

" _Daruk!"_ Zelda and Revali said in unison as Urbosa lay for a moment before slowly rising again.

 _"Don't worry guys, I'll handle this. After all, me and Urbosa are both the veterans."_ Daruk readied his giant sword in front of him, staring directly at Urbosa who returned the gesture. 

_"Take this!!"_ Daruk yelled as he charged upon Urbosa, holding his sword upwards as he slammed it down, missing Urbosa who evaded sideways. Daruk quickly pulled his sword back up but was not fast enough, as Urbosa struck the side of the Goron, however Daruk did not flinch. He spun his sword in a 360, catching Urbosa in the motion as she was flung towards a wall. 

" _That lightning greatly enhances her physical combat strength. That's why we're having so much trouble facing her."_ Daruk told Zelda and Revali who seemed surprised yet relieved. They both had their asses kicked by Urbosa so it was glad knowing she wasn't at her base strength. 

Urbosa yelled as she sent herself flying back to Daruk, who blocked her oncoming blade with his. Urbosa's small scimitar was outclassed by Daruk's stone greatsword, as Daruk yelled as he sent Urbosa backwards, but Urbosa was able to land on her feet as she skidded backwards. Urbosa covered her scimitar in more lightning and now, zipped towards Daruk, sending a volley of lightning fast strikes towards him as Daruk held his sword up to block the blows. Urbosa then suddenly appeared behind Daruk, who was not able to notice her flicker past him before she used two hands and struck the back of Daruk, who yelled as he tumbled forwards. Gorons had rock hard backs like turtles, so Daruk could naturally resist strikes towards his backside. But since Naboris had greatly injured Daruk before, he still felt the brunt of Urbosa's lightning infused attack, falling face first into the ground. As he got up, he was immediately met with Urbosa as she bashed her electrified Daybreaker shield into Daruk, knocking him back far, to his surprise. Daruk got up yet again, but was too weakened to react to Urbosa who slashed at the Goron multiple times, as she finally sent the Goron to the floor for the last time with one final strike to the chest. 

Revali got back up, recovering from his initial skirmish and furiously rushed Urbosa, striking her head with the solid wood part of his bow, stunning her for a short amount of time before backing up slightly and sending multiple arrows into Urbosa, as she held her chest before stumbling backwards. Urbosa held her shield up and charged towards Revali, who flew upwards and landed behind Urbosa as he sent more arrows towards Urbosa's back. Revali daringly went on the offensive, always firing arrows whenever he could and flying out of Urbosa's reach as she tried to attack him. Urbosa then grunted with frustration, before standing still, no longer trying to chase Revali. Urbosa held one of her arms upwards, as Zelda realised what was going on. 

" _GET BACK REVALI! SHE'S ABOUT TO-"_ Zelda screamed at the top of her lungs at the Rito, but before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a snap of Urbosa's fingers. 

Revali knew he fucked up, and before he could move away, he felt a painful jolt of lightning travel throughout his body. 

_"AARRGH"_ Revali was hit by Urbosa's Fury, Champion Urbosa's special move that absolutely decimated everything that was around her. The rito collapsed, his feathers burnt as Zelda quickly headed to his aid. 

" _Revali.. Please.."_ Zelda was about to cry but was interrupted as Revali spoke, in pain. 

_"I'm fine, princess.. A single bolt of lightning is not enough to kill me.."_ Revali coughed as he slowly got up, dusting off some dust from his shoulders as Zelda sighed in relief. Zelda then turned to look at Urbosa, who stood victorious over the many warriors who tried to challenge her. Even though she fought Revali, who was slightly weak to lightning, Daruk, who was already injured before they fought, Zelda, and the many warriors who went with Zelda, Urbosa did not seem to show any signs of tiredness. In fact, Urbosa seemed even faster during her duel with Revali. 

_"I can't believe this.. We.. Lost.."_ Daruk groaned in agony as he removed his sword and placed it on the floor, relieving him of the sword's weighty burden. 

Revali sorrowfully laid his bow down, not having the energy to even aim it anymore. 

The many warriors who were all struck down all looked ashamed as they laid in defeat, especially the Gerudo fighters. 

Everyone seemed to be finished, unable to fight any longer and unsure about Urbosa's next move. However, Zelda got up, sternly staring at Urbosa with determination to everyone's shock. 

" _No more. I know you're still in there somewhere, Urbosa. I will not let this malicious force inside you corrupt you any longer."_ Zelda said before Urbosa lashed out towards her, swinging her blade in a frenzy as Zelda stood back and fired many consecutive beams of light which all hit Urbosa. Urbosa quickly recovered as she held her shield up, but this time Zelda sent a different kind of beam her way. She fired bigger beams this time, the beams were bigger than Urbosa's shield and still hit her even though she tried to block them. Urbosa collected more lightning upon her scimitar before she loosened another bolt of electricity, but Zelda countered it by eviscerating it entirely with her sacred magic. Zelda kept firing and firing, but she knew that she could not keep this up any longer. Soon, the size of her beams kept decreasing and eventually, Zelda ran out of energy, breathing heavily as she could not use more of her power. Urbosa, visibly injured, walked towards Zelda, who knelt down, facing the floor. It seemed like Zelda had done a fair amount of damage, but not enough for Urbosa to lose her sharp focus. As Urbosa looked down upon Zelda, she gripped her scimitar tightly, before holding the blade above her head, about to kill Zelda right then and there. 

Revali and Daruk tried to interfere, as Daruk had the intent of taking the blow himself, but he was too far and did not have enough energy. Revali also too was greatly exhausted, as he stared with a expression filled with regret and sorrow. 

Zelda closed her eyes. Tears fell from her eyes to the solid floor. Zelda knew, she knew that this was the end. No one within reach could stop the rampaging Gerudo, and Zelda had lost all courage left. 

Courage. Zelda thought about courage. Something she and her companions greatly needed right this moment. She thought about the word, and what it meant. 

" _Link.. What would you do.. In this situation?"_

Urbosa readied her blade, and swung it downwards upon Zelda. 

Expecting to strike flesh, Urbosa felt something else. It was solid and made a metallic sound on impact. 

Urbosa looked upon her scimitar, and to her shock, her blade had not reached Zelda yet. The thing blocking her, was a sword that had come in from the side. Urbosa looked to the hilt of the blade, then the hand. Urbosa then glanced at the head of the mysterious figure, only to see a Hylian who glared upon her with anger. 

Zelda looked up, to see what had happened. Her eyes opened as soon as she saw the cause of the interruption, as immeasurable amounts of courage poured into the Princess and her comrades. 

Link and Urbosa stared at each other, before Link pushed Urbosa's blade away from Zelda with his sword. Urbosa stepped back, and readied herself yet again, electricity still covering her and her weapons. 

" _You really had to steal the limelight yet again, Link."_ Revali said as Link looked backwards but did not react, similar to his attitude when he was a silent Knight. 

_"Bring it home for us, little guy!"_ Daruk cheered as he raised his fist up high. 

_"Please Link.. I know you can win against her.. Win against Urbosa."_ Zelda softly spoke but Link heard, and he nodded as he returned to face Urbosa, who was ready to strike. 

The two stood still, but not for long as both Link and Urbosa flung themselves towards each other, the metal of their blades sparking as they met. 


	17. Corruption

As they met, Urbosa and Link fiercely swung their swords at each other. Urbosa was savage, carelessly sending strike after strike after strike, but Link had his trusty Hylian Shield and blocked her blows but was still getting slightly knocked back each hit. Link focused on the rhythm of Urbosa's strikes, getting an idea on the speed in which they came. As Link got the timing down, he waited for a hit to come before parrying the next blow, stunning Urbosa. 

" _So he realised when Urbosa's next attack would come without visual cues? Just what I would've expected."_ Zelda thought as she watched the duel in surprise. Urbosa dodged backwards, avoiding the incoming Link as she sped behind him at lightning speed. Expecting for Link to be unable to react, Urbosa charged her blade before fiercely stabbing it forwards, only for Link to swing his shield backwards, the force knocking Urbosa backwards. Urbosa skidded as she regained balance, and suddenly, a vortex of lightning shrouded the Gerudo and swerved around her, before the vortex disappeared into thin air as Urbosa lept forward at an incomprehensible speed. Link had no choice but to block, as Urbosa smashed into his Hylian Shield as Link was knocked back a few meters. Urbosa swung again, but Link was able to dodge and perform a flurry rush, striking Urbosa with a barrage of sword strikes as the Gerudo yelled before hitting the ground.

Urbosa got up, and sent herself right back into battle. She became more offensive, lashing out at Link with her scimitar, as her sense for her surroundings began to diminish. Even for Link, Urbosa's increased offensive was something he couldn't just parry or counter, as the opening between each hit was too small to use effectively. But Link had an idea. Tired of striking the shield, Urbosa smashed her shield into Link's, staggering him and leaving him open for a strike. Urbosa then quickly took the chance, as she struck Link as he fell backwards. Link grunted as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, before he saw Urbosa's scimitar heading right towards him. Link blocked with his shield, before riskily counterattacking and knocking Urbosa back. Urbosa tried to regain the offensive charge, but she could not as although Link's strikes were slower than hers, each swing packed a serious punch. Urbosa quickly rolled sideways, and back flipped so there would be space between the two. Urbosa then fired multiple bolts of electricity, though Link quickly dodged them and tried to close ground between the two. As he did, He swung his sword downwards, missing Urbosa by an inch as she swiftly stepped sideways. Link turned to face Urbosa, as she circled him while holding her weapon outwards. She rushed back into Link, using all of her body weight into a single swing as she hit Link's shield, the two both equally knocked back by the recoil. Urbosa quickly regained her offensive push, but Link spun his sword around him, and quickly stopped Urbosa in her tracks before he lunged his sword forwards, using all of his body to lean forward. Urbosa evaded the attack by stepping back, and quickly swung her blade as Link backflipped. Urbosa quickly then held her arm up, her fingers getting ready to snap.

Urbosa did not realise that Link had already entered bullet time mode from her previous attack. Before Urbosa's fingers could move an inch, Link charged right at Urbosa, at a speed even faster than her's, and performed a clean flurry rush, all of his strikes sending shockwaves throughout Urbosa's body. 

Urbosa shouted as she fell backwards, slamming against the ground as she tried to get up. Link took the opportunity to grab Urbosa, who flailed and struggled as she tried to escape the grasp of Link who restrained her by holding both of her arms.

_"Princess! Now!"_ Link shouted at Zelda who straightened her body up, realising what Link meant. 

Zelda quickly aimed her hand towards Urbosa, who saw the Princess's hand beginning to glow, but before she could react, Zelda unleashed a blast of energy that purged Urbosa of any corruption or evil inside her. As the light of Zelda's magic faded, Urbosa fell to her knees, no longer shrouded in electricity. As Urbosa faceplanted to the floor, Zelda and the others all quickly rushed to her aid.

Urbosa woke, staring at the ceiling of her divine beast. Her body was in pain as she groaned. Urbosa had not felt most of the pain of the injuries she sustained during her battle with everyone, but now the pain was in full effect. Zelda noticed Urbosa, and quickly knelt down beside her. 

" _Urbosa! How are you feeling?"_ Urbosa grunted as she sat up. 

_"Ugh.. I'm fine.. What happened?"_ Urbosa asked as Zelda proceeded to explain what events had occurred previously. As she did, Urbosa showed an expression of shock and guilt, unsure whether Zelda was lying or not. 

_"Jeez, I really did all that? Princess, I deeply apologise. I will accept any given punishment handed to me-"_ Zelda chuckled a little, confusing Urbosa for a moment. 

_"There is no need for that Urbosa. Your actions were not in your control."_ Zelda placed a hand on Urbosa's back, as Urbosa looked down with a face full of regret. 

_"Attacking a member of the Royal Family.. I have attempted to commit regicide.. That is something I my actions can never atone for."_ Urbosa sat there sorrowfully, however the voice of Revali caught her attention. 

_"Calm yourself, Urbosa. Your rampage was not in your control. And remember, the Princess's statements are absolute, right?"_ Revali glanced at Zelda, so too did Urbosa as she smiled. 

_"Yes, Revali.. You are correct. Forgive me Princess, I may be overthinking things."_ Urbosa told Zelda who seemed happy. 

_"Take your time to rest Urbosa. We should head back to the Canyon Stable soon, Mipha will be waiting our arrival."_ Zelda told the Gerudo as she removed her hand from her back, allowing Urbosa to sit freely. 

_"Thank you, little bird."_ Urbosa said, but in a tone loud enough only Zelda could hear. The Princess smiled, the Urbosa she knew was finally back.

The group finally decided to depart from Naboris, Urbosa had refused to pilot Naboris anymore until she was sure that she fully regained control over herself. Just as sunset gloomed, the beautiful palette of orange spread across the sky, Urbosa approached Link who was adjusting his ancient bracelet while everyone else was preparing their sand seals. 

" _You know, Link, I'm happy someone like you is on our side. I doubt that without you, I could've caused a lot more trouble than I already have."_ Urbosa said as Link placed a hand on Urbosa's shoulder. 

_"It's fine Urbosa. You were a pretty tough opponent yourself."_ Link replied in which Urbosa chuckled. 

_"I'm still quite surprised on how more socially interactive you've become."_ Urbosa said. For some reason, the Link she was talking to now was a whole different person compared to the one seven years ago. 

_"I no longer carry the same burden I used to. Yes, I still do have my duty, but now I don't have to carry it all by myself."_ Link explained as the thought of all his friends, family and colleagues came to his head.

" _Everyone here will be more than willing to assist you if evil returns. Don't lose your life easily, remember that some people especially care about you."_ Urbosa said, her voice echoing throughout Link's mind. The two made their goodbyes, before Urbosa returned to Zelda to board her sand seal.

Link stood as he watched the party leave, sailing across the sand of the desert, complimented by the orange and pink sunset. Link could not forget about what Urbosa had just told him a moment before.

" _I was careless. All I thought about was destroying Ganon. I didn't stop to think about the consequences."_

Link fidgeted a little with his bracelet, before he pressed the button on the accessory, as the Master Cycle Zero begun to materialise.

Zelda and Urbosa both rode on the same sand seal, Urbosa helping to guide the Princess who was still fairly new at sand surfing. The sound of passing sand was all that could be heard, before an aggressive rumble could be heard, drowning out the soft sounds of the sand. Everyone looked back, even Revali who had heard it as he flew. To their surprise, they saw Link, tailing behind the group as he rode his "divine beast." Though Zelda's group a massive headstart, Link was approaching at a very high speed. The engine of the cycle roared as Link revved the bike, accelerating to even faster speeds than before. The group of sand seals had no choice but to split into two and leave a gap in the middle, as not long after Link sped past the sand seals as unimaginable amounts of dust and sand woke in his trail, covering all of the others as they coughed. As the dust subsided not long after, Zelda looked forward to see Link, who was already about to reach the Canyon Stable.

" _What the hell was that?"_ Revali said in a demeaning tone. 

_"Guess we'll find out once we get there,"_ Riju replied as she squinted towards the stable. 

Link begun to deccelerate as he neared the stable, and by the time he reached the ramp that connected the desert and the Gerudo Canyon, he had come to a complete stop. Link dismounted and pushed down on his bracelet button, as his bike disappeared into the contraption. Link slowly calmed down from the adrenaline rush from speeding away on his bike, and ruffled his hair that had been messed up as well. He headed towards the stable, where upon immediate entrance he was greeted by Mipha. 

" _Link! You're finally here! Where's everyone else?"_ Mipha said as Link was taken aback. 

_"They're still coming. I think I came a little too fast."_ Link regained his composure as Mipha nodded. 

_"That's fine, I've been waiting here for a while, I was wondering when the rest of you would arrive."_ It sure had been a while. Especially since the sun was setting. Link quickly glanced over Mipha's shoulders as noticed some travelers who looked exhausted and crestfallen, especially one young woman who seemed much more sorrowful than the rest. 

_"Are those the refugees you rescued?"_ Link asked as he returned gaze to Mipha. 

_"Yeah, we were able to load up everyone in a single journey."_ Mipha replied as Link nodded. 

_"That's good news. We were able to calm down Naboris as well. Urbosa is back to normal too. "_ Mipha sighed in relief at Link's statement. 

_"Of course you would. You're Link, after all."_ Mipha cheekishly said as she giggled, confusing Link who was too bewildered to directly answer her comment. Link scratched his neck as he shyly chuckled, before regaining his composure as something important popped up in his head. 

" _Wait, I need to ask you something",_ Link asked Mipha in a more serious tone. 

_"Yes, Link?"_ Mipha replied with curiosity. 

_"Why did you ask me to come to the Domain, and alone?"_ Link had remembered Mipha's letter, something he still did not have answers to. Mipha stood in shock for a moment, before clearing her throat. 

_"That's... Something we can only discuss at the domain. Would you be able to stay there for a few days?"_ Mipha asked, as Link nodded. 

_"Sure, my sister should be arriving there soon as well."_ Link replied. The two sat down on seats near a campfire outside the stable as they awaited the rest of the party, casually talking about many topics which were unrelated to one another. 

Finally, the shadow of sand seals could be seen as the rest of the party had finally reached the stable, as the sun was just about to head out. 

" _Link, what in Hylia's name was that.. Thing?"_ Zelda asked immediately upon arrival as she marched towards Link. 

_"You mean the Master Cycle Zero?"_ Link asked as he summoned his bike, as everyone stepped back in amazement. 

_"Master Cycle- What?"_ Revali could not help but fumble his words as he stared at the masterfully crafted invention that was the Master Cycle Zero. 

_"It's a gift from Robbie. It was conceived by the ancient shiekah monks of old."_ Link said as Daruk scratched his chin. 

_"Robbie, huh.. Seeing that thing in action, that is definitely only something Robbie could make."_ Daruk said as he thought back on the Shiekah's previous inventions. 

_"So, it's like a horse, of sorts."_ Urbosa asked as he placed her hand on the horse like design of the bike, feeling the smooth material of the ancient cycle. 

_"You could say. I'm not deterring the fact that it is basically my own divine beast."_ Link said with a chuckle as everyone laughed.

_"It suits you. Perfect for someone who embraces the wild."_ Zelda said with a smile as Link smiled back. 

" _Well then, since night is soon to come, we should all be heading back to our homes. Urbosa and Riju, you two are welcome to stay at Hyrule Castle for the night, I will quickly send some help for supplies for Gerudo Town tomorrow. And you too, Daruk. I don't want you to travel all the way to Eldin in a single night. "_ Daruk and Urbosa looked at each other, as they smiled and nodded. 

_"_ _I'll take up your offer this time, Princess. This time, we'll stay sharp, right Riju? "_ Urbosa looked down on the young gerudo who quickly agreed and stood straight, to Zelda's surprise. 

_"Of course, Urbosa. I will do everything in my power to assist you in any way possible. I will become stronger, as I did not have enough strength to subdue my own chief, "_ Riju said with a nervous tone, as Urbosa laughed as she patted her on the back. Zelda turned to Daruk, who seemed embarrassed as he chuckled. 

_"I did get flung all the way here so.. I guess I have no other choice. Please tell me Princess, your beds are suitable for Gorons.. Right? "_ Daruk said with real concern, as the group laughed, Daruk seeming flustered. 

_"I'll have to see, Daruk. And Link, I presume you will be joining us back at the castle?"_ Zelda turned to Link, who was side by side with Mipha. 

_"Actually, I'll head to the domain with Mipha. I do want to check up on my sister after all."_ Zelda nodded in approval. 

_"Your sister should be fine. She has the potential to become a great fighter. I can see it."_ Urbosa told Link who smiled at the Gerudo's statement. 

_"I hope so. I really do."_

_"Are we done with this idle chit chat? If so, I would prefer to head back to my village."_ Revali said in his regular tone, folding his arms and looking to the side. 

_"You are free to depart Revali. Thank you for your service today."_ Zelda bowed as the Rito returned the gesture. 

_"It was a pleasure, Princess."_ Revali turned back and performed a short run up before lifting off into the air, flapping his wings as he headed back to Rito Village airborne. Before Zelda's company began to depart, she faced Link and Mipha. 

_"Goodbye, Link and Mipha. May we meet soon."_

_"Indeed."_ Mipha replied, before facing Link as Zelda, Daruk, Urbosa and Riju headed back to the castle. Urbosa still needed help with walking, so Daruk took it upon himself to offer a piggy back ride, which the Gerudo refused profusely. 

Link and Mipha were now alone, as they would travel together back to the Domain. Link gestured Mipha to follow him as he approached his cycle, and as he sat on the saddle, the various lights on the bike began to glow, responding to Link's presence. 

" _Let's head back, Mipha."_ Link left a little space behind him, enough for a Zora around Mipha's size to properly fit on too. 

_"Oh! Um..I-"_ Mipha's cheeks reddened a little, as she was cutoff by Link. 

_"It's fine, Mipha. It is actually more comfortable than you think."_ Link patted the space behind him, before Mipha finally decided to mount the cycle as well, wrapping her arms around Link's stomach for stability. Mipha gulped as she did this. She could feel Link's hard abs under his light clothing the more she tightened her grasp, but instead of feeling embarrassed, Mipha felt warmth coursing throughout her body as she leant on Link. 

_"Be wary, though. The ride may get a little bumpy."_ Link told Mipha as he saw the terrain ahead of him. 

" _Wha-"_ Mipha's cheeks reddened even more but before she could argue, Link accelerated the bike at an incredible speed, as the two sped off across the Gerudo Canyon. 

Mipha could not help but panic as Link steered the cycle through the canyon. Mipha tightened her grasp around Link, resting her head on Link's back as she closed her eyes. She could feel the wind slam against her body, and as Mipha opened her eyes, her surroundings passed by like a blur. It was the same feeling she had when she had scaled down a waterfall with Sidon once. 

" _Finally. We've arrived, everyone!"_ Baldrick shouted as he set foot into the Domain, dazzled by the symmetrical stairs and gorgeous view. Aryll gasped as she gazed upon the Domain, it was exactly like how her colleagues had described it. 

_"I thought there would be more Lizalfos than that."_ One Knight said as Baldrick laughed. 

_"It seems we must've taken out most of them with Tarkus and Link."_ The road to the domain was mostly scattered with small groups of Lizalfos, much smaller than when Baldrick and Tarkus met, and much easier to handle. As the group continued further, a tall, lean Zora came into view. 

_"The Hylians!"_ Sidon shouted as he opened his arms, stopping to greet Baldrick. 

_"Welcome to Zora's Domain! I received word that you would come soon."_ Sidon continued, as he held his arm towards Baldrick. 

_"Ah, you must be Prince Sidon, correct?"_ Baldrick said as he shook the Zora's hands with a firm grasp, to Aryll's surprise. 

_"P-prince!??"_ Aryll had heard gossip once, commenting on how the Zora Prince was one of the most charming men in Hyrule. He was fit, tall, muscular and had shiny white teeth. He was definitely how Aryll thought he would've looked like. 

_"Indeed Captain, a pleasure to meet you and your knights."_ Sidon looked over to the knights, before nodding and gesturing the group to follow him. 

" _Follow me, I will gladly show you to your rooms. We must first meet with Father. "_ Sidon said as a bunch of people all greeted him as he passed, showing the huge amount of praise the Domain had for him. Aryll glanced to the side and saw the training grounds, and saw rows of armed Zora holding spears and all striking dummies in unison. 

" _Oh, yes. We are currently holding a training program to strengthen our military. There have been rumors of a King Lizalfos that has resurfaced somewhere in Lanaryu."_ Sidon said as he looked at the training soldiers, their loud shouts even heard from the center square. 

_"You can't mean!? It's been 4 years since!"_ Baldrick said with a raised and shocked tone, startling Aryll and her fellow knights. 

_"We all thought that the one that those two Knight Captains teamed up against was the last one."_ Sidon said as he continued walking, as Baldrick was taken aback. 

" _Two Knight Captains fighting a Lizalfos? I remember hearing about it. Even they had a bit of trouble against the King Lizalfos. "_ Aryll thought as she recounted listening about it. Her thoughts soon disappeared however, as the sight of the magnificent Zora Palace entered her view. The Palace was constructed a few years ago, it was initially planned to be much smaller, however due to the abundant amount of resources the Zora had at the time, they had decided to go through with expanding it more. But still, the Palace was much smaller than Hyrule Castle, but it was beautifully built using Zora stone and precisely crafted carvings. There were smooth pillars and gems that decorated the Palace, as the many paths to and around the Palace were etched with unique designs. Aryll approached the front gate, It's glorious construction beautifully representing the fine art of the Zora craft. As Aryll entered into the Palace, she could immediately feel the difference of the aura around her. The walls were lined with smooth opal, and luminous stones worked the lighting, their fluorescent color schemes matching well with the rest of the Palace. Aryll passed the many hallways that seemed to never end. She could see paintings of the Zora Royal Family, and even saw a young King Dorephan who was depicted as he wrestled a moblin. Aryll passed a few more doors, until she stumbled upon a portion of the wall that was transparent, with a medium sized greenhouse behind the wall with a small pond and waterfall, surrounded by green bushes and flowers. Aryll stared in surprise as she passed, the greenhouse was so small and simple, yet it boasted incredible scenery that rivaled the iconic Hyrule Castle garden. The group reached a bigger room, with a pair of giant doors at the end which was colored navy blue and red, the frame of the door being endowed in jewels. Two Zora guarded the big door, as well as a silky thin red carpet that was stretched out across the room. 

" _We are here. Please do have manners."_ Sidon said as he pushed the doors open with both of his arms. 

_"Ah, the Hylians. I see that my son has escorted you here, hm?"_ Dorephan bellowed as the group entered to the center of the throne room, gazing upwards at the humongous Zora King. 

_"That is correct, father. They are here by orders of Princess Zelda, to help defeat the Electric Lynel situated on Tingel Island."_ Sidon bowed as Dorephan glanced to his son. 

_"I am well aware of the situation Sidon. Anyone sent by the Princess is welcome to stay at the Domain. I do have some words I would like to speak, however. "_ Dorephan turned back to face Baldrick, who bowed. 

_"Please do, Your Majesty,"_ Baldrick said, to Aryll's surprise. She had never seen Baldrick show this much manners before. 

_"The public will not be informed by this, so I trust you keep this a secret... The rumors of the King Lizalfos are indeed, true."_ Dorephan said as he deeply sighed. 

_"No way.. Are you sure? "_ Baldrick looked with worry, as Dorephan nodded. 

_"It was spotted north east of here. Past Ploynous Mountain and near Ubota Point. So far, it seems to not have any malicious intent towards the Domain, but we cannot know for sure."_ Dorephan's deep voice echoed throughout the walls of the room, as a moment of silence came and went after he finished his sentence. 

_"Those guys are seriously tough. I've never fought one before, but I've heard from my fellow Captains that they could've easily died fighting it, "_ Baldrick said as Dorephan seemed to agree with the Captain. 

_"Hm. You are right... Knight Captain, I am not asking you to face this terrible monster, but please beware of it's presence as you are also heading north east towards the row of islands. The reason why we Zora cannot do this ourselves is because the Lizalfos possesses an electric horn, similar to the ones on electric Lizalfos. I know it is not within your contract, but I will gladly compensate you for your troubles with whatever you and your knights would like. "_ Dorephan explained as Sidon expressed a worried look. 

_"Hm. That monster truly is a threat to the Zora. If it means saving peace, then I would be glad to."_ Baldrick said as he folded his arms, to the surprise of his knights and the few Zora officials present in the room. 

_"Ho ho! I knew you Knight Captains were made of something different! I am glad! This old Zora has deep gratitude for you! "_ Dorephan said in an excited tone, but Baldrick still had a little left to say. 

_"I do have one request, however. Please make sure my knights are either safe within the domain when I depart, or away from the fight with the monster._ _They are all too young and novice to fight a beast of this latitude."_ Baldrick said, throwing his knights into a state of bewilderment. 

_"What? But Captain, you can-"_ Aryll tried to argue, but was cutoff quickly by Baldrick. 

_"Don't worry Aryll. I'm sure your brother is heading to the domain as we speak."_ Aryll continued to argue with Baldrick who tilted his head downwards as she kept bickering. 

" _We are your knights, we are meant to fight monsters! Please, Baldrick, we will all happily show you our worth. "_ Aryll said in a plea as Baldrick closed his eyes and briefly thought for a moment, then finalising his decision. 

" _Fine._ _Only because you all signed up for this. However, please promise this man one thing. You will all run away if I say to, no exceptions. Your lives still have potential for the future, while mine is beginning to burn out and become stale. Though you all are willing to put your lives down since you became a Knight, I'm not a man who values his life over the people under him. That is all. "_

_"Captain.."_ Aryll said in a quieter tone in contrast to her shouting a few moments ago. The knights all murmured and looked at each other in worry and sadness. 

_"If that is your wish, then all we can do as knights are to follow our Captain's orders."_ One Knight said as the others looked up at him in silence. 

_"You are correct. But alas, there is always a chance for a positive outcome. As knight_ _s of Hyrule, we must all aim for that outcome with our upmost unified strength."_ Baldrick said as he raised his fist, the sudden raise of morale spreading through the knights like a disease. 

_"Yes sir!"_ The knights yelled with smiles and cheers, King Dorephan and the Zora all expressing relief in their eyes. The knights were led to their rooms and chilled for the remainder of the day, wandering around the domain and chatting with the intrigued locals. 

" _Zora's Domain is especially beautiful at night. I could stay here for eternity.."_ Aryll dozedly said as she laid in the central square, staring up towards the night sky and the glistening stars that appeared. The lighting of Zora's Domain was mostly made up of luminous stones, and they would be especially beautiful at night. Sometimes even fireflies would come, which the children of the domain always loved. The glowing domain was always an attraction for travelers and merchants who wanted to rest somewhere for the night. Combined with the ambience of the night, and the soft gushing of the many waterfalls throughout the domain, Aryll was truly in a dimension of her own. One where she was at peace, where her mind could rest. Aryll could definitely sleep right now, but dozing off in the central square of the domain would be a little unruly. Aryll laid on the cold floor a little longer, before she finally stood up and returned to her allocated room. Aryll rested her body on the Zora water bed in her room, a level of comfortness she had never experienced before. 

" _This.. Is... Paradise.."_ Aryll quietly whispered as her eyes began to close by themselves, no longer having the strength to keep them open. Aryll wanted to stay at the Domain forever, but knew that she couldn't, and had a very important task ahead of her the next day. Finally, Aryll begun to fall asleep, like a baby listening to a lullaby. 

It was not long until midnight, as Link and Mipha entered the Lanaryu reigon. Mipha had cooled down now by the passing wind of the bike. She leant her body on Link's back, her eyes half shut as she stared at the night sky overlooking Hyrule. Link was also beginning to tire, despite his immense vigor. The headlights of the master cycle proved important, as the only thing Link could see in the dark night was the illuminated space in front of him. Link entered the Lanaryu Wetlands, leaving a trail of splashing water as his tires grinded against it, producing a bubbling-like noise. Link noted that he did not slow down in the shallow water, meaning that the tires on the cycle truly were made for any type of terrain. 

Link sharply turned and crossed a creaky wooden bridge, the bike clunking against the loose planks of wood. Link looked up and saw the dark outline of the Zora watchtower, knowing that he was at the road to the domain. After a few more careful turns around the winding path of the domain, Link turned past one more corner and saw the entirety of a lit up Zora's Domain. His tires smoothly rode on the straight path towards the domain, as Link slowed his speed down even more, about the same speed as a trotting horse. As Link was admiring the view, he heard a soft voice from behind him. 

" _Are we.. There yet?"_ Mipha said sluggishly as she was on the verge of falling asleep. 

_"Yes Mipha. We are."_ Link softly replied, as he finally reached the gate of the domain where he was met by two Zora guards. Carefully, Link carried Mipha onto his back and desummoned his bike, before firmly grasping Mipha's body in both of his hands as he placed one of her arms around his neck. Link held Mipha's legs in one hand, and her butt in the other. Link noted the softness of Mipha's skin, and the mesmerising warmth that emanated from her body. 

" _Oh, Champion Link! And Lady Mipha! What has transpired for you to arrive at such a late hour!"_ A guard asked in worry as the two approached the gate. 

_"We were returning from the Gerudo region."_ Link said, too exhausted to say anymore. 

_"Ah, I heard about the situation there. Please, hurry and get some rest, I heard that the Hylian Knights will be departing tomorrow noon."_ The guard said as the two let down their spears, allowing Link and Mipha to enter. 

_"Thank you."_ Link said. All Link wanted to do was to make sure Mipha was rested and safe. He decided to head to an Inn, surprised by the eerishly silent and empty central square, that was always bustling with people. Link ordered a room for one as he received the key from the innkeeper. Link still carried the now fast asleep Mipha, in front of him, slowly walking towards his allocated room and keeping an eye on the Zora periodically. Link opened the door, and used his foot to kick the door shut. Quietly, Link placed Mipha onto the water bed, making sure not to make any rash movements. He pinched the blanket and covered it over the Zora, but he was concerned about the jewelery that Mipha still wore. 

" _I shouldn't meddle with her royal endowments."_ Link said, choosing to let the Zora princess sleep with the jewels on. Though it probably was uncomfortable, it wouldn't matter as Mipha was already asleep. Link took a few moments to stare at the Zora, before he took a deep sigh and walked over to the small desk and chair that was also provided in the room. Link placed his gear onto the desk, as he slid the simple, Zora chair from under the desk and faced it away from the wall. Link sat down, resting his elbows on the armrests and using his hands as support for his head as he tilted his head sideways. Sleeping in an uncomfortable position was the last of Link's worries, as he would have to do some serious hunting tomorrow. Link glanced at Mipha, before his eyes began to slowly close. Link was content on one thought as he drifted off to bed. Why was he doing this? He could've handed Mipha to a royal attendee and got it over and done with, but yet, Link chose to pay for an Inn from his own pocket, just for the sake of someone else he cared for. 

Ever since the first time Mipha had invited Link to sleep with him the first time they met, Link kept an unknown sensation inside of him. It stayed dormant, but now it was beginning to burst and explode inside, passing on emotions Link had never experienced. Link shut his eyes even harder and clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he desperately wanted to find out the truth. A moment passed, a Link suddenly realised. 

Did he love Mipha? 


End file.
